Columbus Council Debates Breaking Promise to Build Park for Disabled Kids

Councilmembers question plan to scrap inclusive recreational space for NWSL team training facility

Apr. 14, 2026 at 2:49am

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a soccer training session broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in muted tones, conveying the tension and competing priorities in the city council's decision.A community's promise of a new inclusive park hangs in the balance as the city council debates prioritizing a professional sports facility over local needs.Columbus Today

The Columbus City Council is debating whether to back a plan to build a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team's training facility at McCoy Park, which would require scrapping a previously approved project to construct an inclusive recreational space for families and children with disabilities in the underserved south Columbus neighborhood.

Why it matters

The McCoy Park project was promised to the local community after years of advocacy, and community leaders say the new park is desperately needed in an area with low life expectancy and limited resources. Breaking this promise has angered residents who feel the city is prioritizing a professional sports team over the needs of local families.

The details

In 2024, the Columbus City Council passed legislation to build an inclusive outdoor recreational space at McCoy Park, including sports fields, a splash pad, and other amenities for families. However, the new NWSL training facility proposal would require scrapping those plans. Community leaders say the city has not communicated with them about the change, and they are concerned about losing a much-needed resource for local children and families.

  • In 2024, the Columbus City Council passed legislation to build an inclusive recreational space at McCoy Park.
  • Construction on the McCoy Park project was supposed to begin as early as late 2022 or 2023.

The players

Columbus City Council

The governing body of the city of Columbus, Ohio, which is debating whether to support a plan to build an NWSL team's training facility at McCoy Park, scrapping a previously approved community recreation project.

Derek Bergman

A member of the Franklinton Area Commission, who said the city would be breaking a promise to neighborhood kids and families if they pass the legislation to support the NWSL team.

Shannon Hardin

The president of the Columbus City Council, who said he was unaware of the previously promised park project for the community.

Michael Stevens

The Director of Development for Columbus, who said the NWSL team's ownership group is committed to creating adaptive sports programming for the community.

Liz Reed

The chair of the Southwest Area Commission, who said the communication from the city administration has been "extremely bad" and that the McCoy Park project is desperately needed in an underserved community.

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What they’re saying

“Absolutely. The city council would be, the city administration would be. This promise has been made over years.”

— Derek Bergman, Member, Franklinton Area Commission

“I did not know there was another part of the bad deal that the city promised a park for young people who have disabilities to be built and to break ground this year. I did not know that. And I think that that's absurd.”

— Shannon Hardin, Council President

“The communication has been extremely bad. So we knew last year, the end of last year, it was announced that the funding has been approved for the plan and that they were going to begin breaking ground as early as late last year or this year. It wasn't until another news media source presented the proposal for this soccer team that we learned McCoy Park was involved.”

— Liz Reed, Southwest Area Commission Chair

“This particular neighborhood is the one that suffers most, and they suffer most in the full state of Ohio. They have the lowest life expectancy. In that particular tract, the average life expectancy is 50 years of age. So, you know, so it's very important that that community be able to access a park. That's not the only resource they need to be able to access. There's so many resources they need, but at least have some kind of common ground where we can come together and help provide resources for this community.”

— Liz Reed, Southwest Area Commission Chair

What’s next

Councilmembers said they want to find an alternate location for the promised park and will hold city leaders accountable to a strict timeline for construction. Community leaders expressed hope that a solution can be found that keeps the park near the underserved neighborhood that needs it most.

The takeaway

This debate highlights the tension between supporting a professional sports team and fulfilling promises made to local communities. The city must balance economic development with its commitment to providing critical resources and recreational spaces for underserved families and children with disabilities.