Haslam Sports Group and the Edwards Family, investor-operators of Major League Soccer team Columbus Crew, have announced the creation of a joint venture for the commercial development of the Confluence Village, which will be located near the under-construction new stadium for the franchise.
The club’s owners made the announcement in conjunction with Columbus-based The Pizzuti Companies. The Confluence Village will be located in downtown Columbus, with the Crew and Pizzuti to transform the area into offices, commercial, residential and green space.
A key element of the joint venture includes a commitment to develop residential units to better serve the local community. More details regarding the residential component of the development will be revealed in the near future.
Columbus Crew broke ground on its new downtown stadium in October, just hours after the club’s owners completed the acquisition of land on which it will sit. In September, the Crew unveiled renderings for the $300m (£241m/€277m) stadium, which will serve as the centrepiece of the wide-ranging Confluence Village.
Josh Glessing, vice-president of strategy for Haslam Sports Group, said: “We are thrilled to partner with one of the leading Central Ohio development firms that brings the wealth of experience that Pizzuti possesses.
“They have a long history of developing projects in Columbus and share our vision to complement the arena district in a way that will spur further investment and advance the City’s Workforce Housing priorities. We remain on schedule for a July 2021 opening of the new Crew stadium and this joint venture is one of the final pieces of the Confluence Village project. This development will be a year-round destination, and workforce housing will be an important component of the residential piece.”
In other news, rival MLS team FC Cincinnati has announced that club partner First Financial Bank will take on naming rights to the expansive east premium club space at West End Stadium, which is due to open next spring.
The space will be called the First Financial Club moving forward. Full details and renderings of this space and the stadium’s other premium offerings will be released publicly soon.
The First Financial Club will be the largest club at West End Stadium, holding more than 2,100 seats. FC Cincinnati said the club will feature one of the most unique premium space design concepts in North American sports facilities and will resemble a beer hall in a nod to the city’s rich brewing history.
First Financial Bank has been an official FC Cincinnati cornerstone partner since January 2019, when it signed a multi-year deal to become the club’s exclusive banking and financial services partner.
West End Stadium has been designed by Populous and will have a capacity of between 26,000 and 26,500. FC Cincinnati currently plays at the 40,000-seat Nippert Stadium, which primarily serves as the home of the University of Cincinnati’s American football team.
Image: Columbus Crew
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