Hugo Sanchez and his wife Diana Lopez are diehard Columbus Crew fans and were thrilled about Thursday’s news about the future of Crew stadium.
“To be honest when they announced this, some tears came out of my eyes,” says Sanchez, who began following the Crew when he moved to the US at age 10.
The couple calls fellow Crew fans family, and the games are a part of their tradition.
“We began going to games in 2015, and we’ve been going ever since,” said Lopez. “And soccer and ‘fútbol’ are a big part of our recreational activities.”
And when they thought the team might be leaving, Lopez says “It really was like someone ripping something out of our heart.”
But fans say they are hopeful because of Thursday’s announcement of a new $230 million downtown stadium. President and CEO of the Columbus Partnership Alex Fischer says this announcement represents a true public/private partnership among investors, local and state officials and the community.
“To have been down and out those nearly 400 plus days ago and now to be at this moment in time on the verge of turning this thing around is an exhilarating feeling,” says Fischer.
Officials from major league soccer gave a deadline of the end of the year to sell the Columbus Crew, and fans mobilized.
“We banded together and we fought the system, and we ended up winning,” said David Miller from Save The Crew. “And to see the actual design of a stadium that will be in Columbus and will improve Columbus is just incredible.”
The proposed Confluence Village will be adjacent to other downtown landmarks Arena District and Huntington Park. Local private investors including the Haslam and Edwards families will contribute $645 million dollars to the stadium, village and renovation of the old Mapfre Stadium in North Columbus according to the release.
The city of Columbus and Franklin County will each contribute $50 million, but the city monies will not go to the construction of the stadium, but for infrastructure to renovate Mapfre.
The designs released today include a twenty thousand seat stadium with around 3200 seats for team supporters. The property will also include a fan park, plaza, residential and commercial space.
“It’s not simply about saving the crew, it’s not simply about a stadium,” says Fischer. “It’s about a total plan that’s coming together for major economic development impact, major new neighborhood impact, and making sure existing neighborhoods have new facilities and new opportunities.”
The fans say they are just hopeful that the pictures and plans become a reality, and their team is safe for generations to come.
“When I saw it on the screen I was just amazed that this could be in Columbus, that this could be the future home of the crew,” says Miller.
Fischer says major league soccer has to approve the sale and plans, and that announcement could come by year's end. And if it all goes through, the plan is to break ground in 2019.