Fresno councilman: Postpone Selland sale to soccer club due to pandemic budget crunch
A Fresno City Councilmember is calling to postpone sale negotiations of Selland Arena to the Fuego FC soccer club, saying city officials have too little information and the city’s financial situation is too precarious to rush the deal.
Councilmember Miguel Arias in a news release called the negotiations “premature” since the city faces a coronavirus pandemic budget crunch, and the city must see more financial information from the soccer club before moving forward.
The sale negotiations were scheduled for closed session of Thursday’s City Council meeting but the item was removed from the agenda.
“Fresnans trust us to do our due diligence when it comes to proposals like this. We hope the ownership of Fuego will respect the need for full transparency to adequately review our ability to make professional soccer a viable amenity for Fresnans of all stripes,” Arias said in a statement. “As a soccer fan, I am a champion to return professional soccer to downtown Fresno – but we must do so in the context of our city’s current financial reality and with prudent fiscal safeguards for our taxpayers.”
Fuego FC President Chris Wilson said delays don’t concern him or Fuego ownership.
“Mayor Dyer, the ownership of Fuego and myself are in complete alignment and agreement that bringing soccer to downtown Fresno is what’s best for our city, and we just need to work through the details to get it done,” Wilson said.
If the deal takes more time, that’s OK, Wilson said. Both sides still need more information to move forward, but Wilson said he was confident it would get done.
Mayor Dyer’s take
Dyer agreed.
In a statement to The Bee, Dyer said he and his staff have been in talks with the owner of Fuego FC, Juan Ruelas.
“I am confident we will be able to work out the financial details in order to make this a reality, but we must first do our due diligence,” Dyer said. “Having the Fresno Fuego Soccer team in downtown Fresno would be a major benefit to our community and the Valley.”
Arias cited a city ordinance authored by former Fresno Mayor Lee Brand during his time on the City Council that requires the city to do its due diligence for projects with a value of over $1 million. He also cited the recent negotiations with Major League Baseball to ensure professional baseball would stay in Fresno.
“We’re learning from our past mistakes, Arias said. “One way of doing that is by not hurrying into agreements under pressure with minimal information.”
The deal with Fuego FC is different from the Grizzlies’ situation because the project will be privately financed, Wilson said.
In December, the Fresno City Council voted to designate Selland Arena plus adjacent Valdez Hall and the ground parking lot as surplus property. Days later, Central Valley Fuego Futbol Club launched and announced its intentions to compete in spring 2022 in USL League One.
The new club is not related to Fresno Fuego, which competed from 2003-17 in the Premier Development League. Another pro soccer club, Fresno FC, folded in October 2019 following two seasons in USL Championship.
Fresno FC was unable to find a location to purchase and build a soccer venue, a USL requirement. Fuego FC said it plans to transform the Selland Arena location into a soccer complex.
This story was originally published March 3, 2021 at 4:54 PM.