City Council agrees to study soccer stadium proposed for far north Fort Worth
The Fort Worth City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to continue looking at whether it makes sense to build a soccer stadium in far north Fort Worth.
While many supported a potential stadium, more emphasis was put on the need for an accompanying youth complex to attract tournaments and give children a place to play.
The city can generate extra revenue from the stadium and a potential 20-field youth soccer complex, said Mitch Whitten, chief operating officer at Visit Fort Worth.
A 2019 estimate from the Fort Worth Sports Commission estimated a 20-field complex would generate $16 million annually in economic impact.
The project’s biggest advocate, District 4 council member Cary Moon, said the location of a stadium at the intersection of Interstate 35W and Basswood Boulevard opens the opportunity for several taxing jurisdictions to participate in the project including Tarrant County, the Tarrant Regional Water District and the Keller school district.
Moon floated the idea of using tax increment financing to help pay for the stadium construction while minimizing the impact on taxpayers.
Mayor Pro Tem and District 5 council member Gyna Bivens said her vote was to support exploring the project rather than a vote to move forward.
Bivens said she wished the stadium was being built to support Fort Worth’s school district. She said there are children in south and east Fort Worth who need more places to play sports.
District 8 council member Chris Nettles added that sports has a positive mental and physical impact on young people, and wanted to see the council move forward with a plan that increases youth access to sports across the city rather than just north of Loop 820.
The council also needs to go beyond soccer, District 7 council member Leondard Firestone said. He advocated building fields to expand access to lacrosse, football, and flag football.
Mayor Mattie Parker supported moving forward with the stadium, but made a commitment to Visit Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Sports Commission that the city would build a youth soccer complex.
This story was originally published March 29, 2022 at 5:26 PM.
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