FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2018
Contact: Jeff Blom, President
Clermont County Convention & Visitors Bureau
513-732-3600 (office)
513-225-3288 (cell)
jeff@visitclermontohio.com
MILFORD, Ohio – Professional sports is coming to Clermont County and it is expected to create tremendous economic impact in the county.
FC Cincinnati, the region’s hugely popular and soon-to-be Major League Soccer (MLS) professional team, has selected the City of Milford as the site of an estimated $30-million training complex, which will include three soccer fields and training facilities for its first team and future FCC Academy.
The new soccer complex is expected to generate $6.8 million in economic impact in Clermont County from the direct spending of out-of-town visitors who will visit the new facility, local hotels, restaurants, and other businesses, according to an economic-impact analysis of the project.
“This is tremendous news not just for soccer fans, but for the entire Clermont County community,” said Jeff Blom, president of the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The FC training complex will attract visitors who will eat at our restaurants, shop at local businesses, stay at hotels, and visit attractions throughout the county and in other neighboring communities, ultimately generating millions of dollars of economic impact and tax revenue for Milford and all of Clermont County.”
Currently a member of the United Soccer League, Major League Soccer (MLS) announced May 29 that Cincinnati is the newest expansion city to join MLS. FCC, which has announced plans to build a new stadium in Cincinnati’s West End neighborhood, will start MLS league play in 2019.
The training complex will constructed on the current site of Expressway Park, a softball complex on U.S. 50 adjacent to Interstate 275 in Milford, which is in the heart of a thriving commercial, dining, and retail center. FC Cincinnati is expected to complete its training complex by July 2019 and the club expects to finish all other site work by the end of 2019.
The complex will feature two grass fields, an artificial turf field, and player training facilities for its first team and future FCC Academy. The three full-size fields will have lights for night games and practices. The club’s soccer operations will be based at the Milford training facility.
FC Cincinnati plans to partner with soccer facilities in Clermont County and in the region to host hundreds of teams participating in youth soccer tournaments, which will provide a further boost to tourism and the local economy in the area.
“Visiting teams and their families will fill hundreds of hotel rooms throughout Clermont County, not only in Milford but in Miami and Union townships and other municipalities in the region, during the spring, summer, and fall playing seasons,” Blom said.
“While these players and their families are here, they will visit restaurants, stores, businesses, and attractions throughout the county in yet another example of how the new FC Cincinnati soccer complex will have a tremendous and lasting impact on our county and the region as a whole.”
An economic impact analysis conducted by The Sports Facilities Advisory (SFA) — a Clearwater, Fla.-based sports-management consulting firm — shows that the new soccer complex will generate 64,687 visitor days each year by out-of-town visitors (those who will be coming to the complex from more than 90 minutes away). The SFA report also indicated that the soccer complex would generate up to 17,854 room-nights each year. The economic impact from the direct spending of these out-of-town visitors would be nearly $6.8 million a year, according to SFA.
FC Cincinnati and other sources will pay the vast majority of the funding for the new training complex and soccer academy. FC Cincinnati is expected to pay approximately $30 million to build the new complex. The Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau will provide funding for land acquisition and infrastructure improvements for the facility through a one-percent increase in the county’s six-percent hotel tax.
“Since this is a tax on hotel rooms, the tax increase will be paid by visitors to Clermont County, not by its residents,” Blom said. “This funding is really an investment in our community and a great way to help attract not only the FC Cincinnati soccer complex, but also visitors, tourists, spending, tremendous positive attention, and economic impact to our community.”
The one-percent hotel tax increase must be approved by the Clermont County Board of County Commissioners, which is expected to vote on measure in July.
Currently, the six-percent hotel tax is evenly split between the Convention and Visitors Bureau, which uses the funding for tourism marketing and bureau operations, and the cities and townships where hotels are located, which have full authority over how the money is spent.
About the Clermont County CVB
Whether planning a trip, navigating a city or the county, or attending a sporting event or other activity, the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau is your most reliable source for visitor and travel information. Clermont County is a vibrant and growing region known for its beauty, historic attractions, and exceptional outdoor recreational activities. We welcome you to explore Clermont County and what it has to offer. To learn more, visit our website at www.visitclermontohio.com.
