The Columbus Crew have a real “sweetheart deal” for their facility. The MLS club pays only $10 per year to rent Lower.com Field in the heart of downtown Columbus, Ohio.
A great deal, right? Incredibly, the Columbus Dispatch reported Tuesday that the soccer club missed its first annual rent payment. It also missed its $10 annual payment on the team’s practice facility.
Crew's rent for https://t.co/OcYpPyDUC5 Field only $10 a year, but team still late with payments https://t.co/DpncBCGrru
— Columbus Dispatch (@DispatchAlerts) October 4, 2022
When the Dispatch followed up on the matter, it found the Crew had finally paid the $20 they owed as of early last week.
Not a big deal, right? But the Dispatch mentions the team has “other responsibilities delegated to it under the 60-plus page Lower.com Field lease that appear to be going unchecked by any public representatives,” including the management of a public plaza adjacent to the facility.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther’s office seemed unconcerned about the Crew’s late payments. Chief of staff Robin Davis told the paper, “While it’s good the Crew flipped the (authority) the $10 rent they owed, the city is more focused on the $6.5 million in tax revenue the Crew’s investments will help deliver annually.”
The Crew, which began play in 1996 as one of the charter teams of Major League Soccer, is owned by a group headed by the Haslam family, owners of the Cleveland Browns. The club announced plans to relocate to Austin, Texas, in 2017, but avid supporters launched an effort to keep the team in town. Haslam’s group purchased the Crew a year later. The $314 million Lower.com Field opened in 2021.
The Crew has won six major trophies, including the 2021 Campeones Cup.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.