CLEVELAND — Cleveland Metroparks has acquired 13.6 acres of land in Cleveland intended to be the site for a new stadium for a national women's soccer team.
The acquisition is meant to "support Cleveland Soccer Group’s (CSG) effort to build a stadium and bring a new National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team to Northeast Ohio," according to a Metroparks press release.
The undeveloped land purchase was approved by the Cleveland Metroparks Board of Park Commissioners Thursday and had been owned by the Ohio Department of Transportation. The land is just across the street from Progressive Field.
Cleveland Metroparks CEO Brian M. Zimmerman said they are proud to partner with the CSG.
“The acquisition of this centrally located property near the heart of Cleveland aligns with our ongoing efforts to connect communities to and around downtown Cleveland through our growing trail network and we’re excited and hopeful that GSG and Cleveland will be successful in this tremendous opportunity,” Zimmerman said in the release.
Cleveland and Cincinnati have both submitted bids to get the NWSL team. The city that wins should find out by the end of the year. Cleveland Professional Soccer has more information on their efforts to win the bid here.
According to the release this new stadium “would be the first ever public-private partnership for a newly constructed stadium primarily designed for women’s professional sports.”
Initial designs showcase a 12,500-person capacity that could be expanded to 20,000.
Additionally, they highlight the benefits this stadium could bring to the area south of the highway, stating it could be “the catalyst to development” in the area.
The stadium would also be the site for a men’s Major League Soccer NEXT Pro club and could serve as a location for various events as well as high school and college sports, the release says.
“Our vision of prioritizing equity and economic impact through women’s professional sports is so complementary to the Metroparks mission,” CSG Cofounder and CEO Michael Murphy said in the release. “We are thrilled to partner with Cleveland Metroparks on this transformative project for the region.”
The property was worth around $4.2 million, according to the release, and the Metroparks acquisition is still subject to site review and due diligence. They say the acquisition is “fully funded by CSG.”
“CSG continues to work with City, County and State officials to finalize the funding plan for the historic public-private partnership,” the release reads.
Spectrum News Reporter Katie Kapusta contributed to this article.