Orlando City SC's dreams of becoming a Major League Soccer outfit may be even closer now. The third-division club announced on Monday that dates have been finalized for the city of Orlando and Orange County (Fla.) Commissioners to vote on the approval of funds for a new downtown, multi-purpose soccer stadium.
The city's vote will be held on Oct. 7 at downtown Orlando's City Hall Council Chambers, while the commissioners vote will take place Oct. 22 at the County Administration building. Both votes are open to the public.
Should the funds be approved by both sets of voters, Orlando would be able to engage with MLS in final negotiations with the hope of bringing an expansion team to Central Florida. MLS announced in July that it plans to add another four teams by 2020.
“We are excited as we begin this final step of securing a downtown soccer stadium for the Central Florida area,” Orlando City president Phil Rawlins said in a statement. “We encourage all of our fans to call their commissioners to show their support in the upcoming weeks.”
Tourist Development Council – a council including Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and county Mayor Teresa Jacobs – unanimously approved the plan for the soccer stadium in early August. Orlando City have played at the Florida Citrus Bowl since moving to Central Florida in 2011.
The club is making a major push to join MLS, recently completing a campaign in which it compiled 15,000 signatures from fans stating "I believe in Major League Soccer in Orlando!"
More information on the votes can be found at OrlandoCitySoccer.com.
