After a lengthy discussion lasting over four hours this Tuesday, the Kingston City Council passed a motion that directs City staff to work with Victory Grounds Ventures on developing a long-term lease for a multi-use stadium at the Memorial Centre site.

This is great news for the city's potential Canadian Premier League expansion team.

The council voted 9-3 in favour of Option 1, which reads:

• That Council direct staff to work with Victory Grounds Ventures on the development of a long-term lease for a portion of the existing green/field space at the Memorial Centre site to establish a multi-sports stadium that is domed in the winter and to bring a Canadian Premier League Soccer team and two semi-professional soccer teams to Kingston while providing access to the community user groups and sports organizations; and

• That staff be directed to enter into a 120 day exclusivity period with Victory Grounds Ventures to allow the City time to conduct community consultation and complete due diligence on the potential lease with the assurance that Victory Grounds Ventures is not concurrently exploring opportunities with other communities; and

• That staff be directed to conduct community consultation on the proposed relocation of the dog park within the field at the back of the property, the loss of some sport field uses, impacts to the circular track at the back of the property, and on the identification of alternate options/locations for the annual Agricultural Fair; and

• That staff be directed to report back at the March 18, 2025 City Council meeting on the proposed terms of a land lease, that will include consideration of community feedback.

Throughout the meeting on Tuesday, plenty of support was expressed for the project, along with several concerns.

Councillor Tozzo raised concerns about the limited public information available and the short time frame between the project's introduction and the decision to vote on entering negotiations. He also voiced frustration over the project's organizers not extending invitations to city councillors for information sessions, despite those sessions being widely advertised across Kingston communities.

Many residents have also voiced concerns about the impact of the Memorial Centre site, a long-standing public space which has been used and is still used for events like farmers markets.

"We believe in the vision of a green and accessibly city," said Andrew McCann, who represented the farmers market in the meeting. "A for-profit stadium would dig into that dream dramatically."

There was also support from sports advocates. Jesse Topley, an American Football coach, highlighted the challenges of finding and playing in a safe-to-play surface: "We had to cancel practice because of so many discarded needles. This project could change that," Topley said.

Paul Barbeau, the Managing Partner of Victory Grounds Ventures, emphasized that this vote is merely a preliminary step. This sentiment was echoed by several councillors who voted in favour of the project, highlighting its early-stage nature in the overall process.

Councillor Chaves, who had the final word before the vote, expressed strong support for the project. He questioned the weight of the petition against the project, which has over 5,000 signatures, pointing out that supporters of such initiatives are often less vocal than opponents. Chaves shared that he has received emails of support from various sporting – not just soccer – organizations in the city, collectively representing over 21,000 members.

Councillor Paul Chaves, who had the final word before the vote, expressed strong support for the project. He questioned the weight of the petition against the project, which has over 5,000 signatures, pointing out that supporters of such initiatives are often less vocal than… https://t.co/FN86yzyuQS pic.twitter.com/nlilO2Ghpe

— TrueNorthFoot ?????? (@truenorthfoot) January 15, 2025

This development marks a significant milestone for Kingston's potential expansion team, but there's still a long road ahead. On March 18, the City Council will make the critical decision on whether the project proceeds.

Both Councillor Chaves and Paul Barbeau have identified misinformation as a significant challenge. VGV now has just over two months to engage with the Kingston community and address any inaccuracies circulating about the project.

Those interested in watching a replay of the January 14 meeting can do so by clicking here.

Updated with a comment from a Canadian Premier League spokesperson:

We are pleased for Victory Grounds Ventures that Kingston City Council has allowed it to negotiate with city staff regarding a land lease agreement that could lead to the construction of a multi-use stadium in Kingston. We are supportive of any efforts aimed at addressing the lack of adequate infrastructure in our country, as such venues are critical to the growth of soccer in Canada. A suitable stadium solution is a requirement for the CPL to consider expansion in any prospective market. We look forward to following the progress on this file as it evolves, and to the possibility of considering Kingston as a potential expansion market if our required conditions can be met.