By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette
This news might not concern the people of Guthrie County too much, unless some of you are as big of soccer fans as I am.
The city of Des Moines, citing budget shortfalls, decided to end negotiations with Krause Group over a proposed downtown soccer stadium that would have brought both a professional men’s and women’s soccer team to the area.
I will not bore you with all the nitty-gritty financial details, even though there are plenty of them. The long and short of it is that Krause Group, Des Moines and a whole bunch of other organizations have been trying to put together funding for this project for seven years. Naturally, the pandemic created a snag, and since then, costs have gone up.
If there was a finger to point at for whose fault it was that this project had not gotten off the ground, let alone started or finished, it was often pointed at Krause Group. Years later, with the funding finally secure, the city of Des Moines backed out.
It will be difficult for people to find much sympathy for the Krauses, who have burned through plenty of public goodwill. Truthfully, though, I am not interested in pointing fingers or placing blame. I am just disappointed.
That is right. I am taking the stance of a frustrated parent. As a kid, what stung more than being chewed out, grounded, having your toys taken away or being sent to your room was Mom or Dad saying, “I am not mad. I am just disappointed.”
I have been patiently and excitedly awaiting a professional soccer team to come to the metro for years. I already wake up at the wee hours of the morning to watch my favorite soccer team in London play.
If I had a local soccer team to support — maybe Des Moines FC, or perhaps the Pork Tenderloin Soccer Club — I really would not care what they called it. I, along with many other soccer-crazed fans, was ready to throw my support behind an honest-to-God professional soccer team.
Take a look at the other professional sports organizations in Des Moines. The Iowa Wild, Iowa Wolves and Iowa Cubs are often noted as some of the most well-attended and well-watched minor league teams in their respective leagues.
I understand soccer is lower on the totem pole than those sports, but I believe the city would rally around it. Either way, the project, at least for now, feels dead in the water, and we will not get to find out.
What hurts the most was the reaction from many of my friends — friends I know would happily attend these games. They were not angry. They were not even disappointed. There was more of an air of, “That is just Des Moines for you.” A growing expectation of missing out on, or giving up on, doing the “cool” thing. They did not even get their hopes up in the first place. That is something the city should be trying to do more of. Excite people. Find ways to make things work.
If Des Moines really is supposed to be a city that punches above its weight, then it should start punching harder. Maybe that is naïve of me to say. And, like I said, I left out the nitty-gritty financial details of this project. But it just feels like Des Moines used to make fun, interesting and exciting things happen through sheer force of will. There was a sense that if someone had a big idea, the city would figure out a way to make it happen. This stadium project somehow falling apart after clearing what should have been the final hurdle feels entirely too familiar.
So, no, I am not mad. I am just disappointed.
Reach out with comments, suggestions, story ideas and more to cyote@dmcityview.com.