Chambers back MLS in Austin

Precourt Sports Ventures, the group pushing to move the Columbus Crew professional soccer club to Austin, put some indirect pressure on city leaders Friday thanks to an endorsement from two local business groups in favor of the move. The support came from the Austin Chamber of Commerce and the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, with the groups touting the economic and community benefits of Austin getting a Major League Soccer franchise. The main sticking point in the potential move is a decision on where to build a stadium with approximately 20,000 seats that PSV hopes can be built on city-owned property. The consideration of city parkland – now whittled down to just Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Metropolitan Park in addition to other non-parkland property owned by the city – has sparked objections from conservationist and other groups around the city. That friction has caused City Council and staff to not rush into any decisions on the issue. PSV, meanwhile, wants some certainty so it can move forward with negotiations on a temporary home for the team in time for the 2019 MLS season.