Blank makes bid for MLS expansion team in Atlanta

AJC.com is reporting:
Falcons owner Arthur Blank announced late Tuesday afternoon that he will seek a Major League Soccer franchise for Atlanta.

The AMB Group, Blank's management and investment company, submitted a bid to the nation's premier men's soccer league. Blank and league officials wouldn't comment on possible sites, although Cobb and, to a lesser extent, Gwinnett counties are considered front-runners.

Blank, who also owns the Georgia Force of the Arena Football League, would have to come up with an estimated $40 million for a franchise.

"Filing this application represents an important next step as we continue to explore the possibility of bringing Major League Soccer to fans throughout metro Atlanta," AMB spokesman Brian Farley said in a statement. "We're also looking at how best to create a sports-and-entertainment center that can not only serve as a premier soccer destination, but also a community resource for soccer enthusiasts at various levels of play throughout the region."

A 20,000-seat stadium, along with land and other amenities, could add an additional $80 million to the package. Public money would likely become part of any financing mix. Naming rights could help defray the overall cost.

Cobb and Gwinnett counties, with burgeoning soccer enthusiasts of all ages and large Hispanic populations, are considered the likeliest locations for a soccer stadium. Sam Olens, chairman of the Cobb County Commission, said Tuesday that a proposed site near Kennesaw State would be ideal.

"The ability to link a soccer franchise with KSU is a very exciting opportunity from the county's perspective," said Olens who cautioned that financing remains a hurdle.

MLS officials had earlier labeled Atlanta a "tremendous" potential market for a franchise. A half-dozen other cities, though, including Las Vegas, Ottawa, Portland and Vancouver, have also expressed interest in a franchise. Atlantans could be watching major league soccer in 2012.
- www.northfulton.com

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