Updated at 5:40 with comments from Major League Soccer.
ST. LOUIS 鈥 A group of prominent local business and sports leaders are working together to land a Major League Soccer expansion franchise.
The group includes 果酱视频 Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III, World Wide Technology CEO Jim Kavanaugh, prominent hotelier Bob O鈥橪oughlin, UniGroup President Jim Powers, 果酱视频 Blues CEO Chris Zimmerman and former NFL task force co-chairman Dave Peacock.
Jim Woodcock, global sports co-lead and senior vice president at FleishmanHillard, said the group 鈥 which is dubbing itself MLS2STL 鈥 came together naturally as several of its members, including Woodcock, began asking about MLS ownership following .
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He said the members will not necessarily be owners. 鈥淚t is possible that one or more members of the group may elect to explore some ownership stake,鈥 Woodcock said. 鈥淏ut for now everyone in the group is focused on what they know they can do today.鈥
The group will conduct a 果酱视频 market study, look into potential stadium sites and research stadium construction funding options. The work will be privately funded, Woodcock said.
Peacock 鈥 who has become something of a local celebrity for his work planning a riverfront NFL stadium 鈥 met . He left the meeting with promises to help MLS with such local work.
Garber blessed the effort on Wednesday, saying in a statement that he was 鈥減leased to see many prominent business and sports leaders becoming involved in the efforts to bring a Major League Soccer team to the downtown area.鈥
鈥淲e look forward to working with the group to further evaluate 果酱视频 and see if it is ready for an MLS expansion team,鈥 Garber continued.
Garber said earlier this month that MLS would spearhead the stadium search and funding efforts. On Thursday, Woodcock called the relationship between the group and MLS 鈥渃ollaborative.鈥
He said the group would work with local leaders, MLS officials and ownership candidates, 鈥渨hether they鈥檙e here in 果酱视频 or elsewhere.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 a signal, to a potential owner or owners, that there鈥檚 a group here in 果酱视频 committed to working with them toward the arrival of an expansion franchise,鈥 he continued.
It鈥檚 unclear how the group鈥檚 formation will affect possible stadium sites.
Garber has often said that urban MLS stadiums have done well for their teams. This month, he told the Post-Dispatch he was 鈥渧ery excited鈥 by the 果酱视频 north riverfront site chosen by Peacock and Gov. Jay Nixon鈥檚 National Football League stadium task force.
Woodcock acknowledged the league鈥檚 interest in downtown sites, and said the north riverfront is certainly on their list. 鈥淭his is the trend,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 think the ideal scenario for 果酱视频 is to be part of that trend.鈥
Still, he said the group would 鈥渃onduct a thorough exploration of potential stadium sites. We鈥檙e not going to limit our thinking.鈥
The full group exploring MLS has nine members, according to Woodcock. It also includes Rob Ebert, a partner at Bryan Cave, Vicky Lynch, of Lynch Sports and Events, and Woodcock himself.
