AUSTIN, Texas — Austin City Council is slated to make a decision Thursday as to whether it will continue with plans to bring a Major League Soccer team to city-owned lot in North Austin, near the Domain. 

On Tuesday morning, Precourt Ventures released a draft of a conceptual rendering for a stadium and soccer park at McKalla Place, including a potential on-site location for affordable housing.

RELATED | Report finds McKalla Place suitable for Major League Soccer stadium

PAC AND THE 'BILLION DOLLAR GIVEAWAY'

A political action committee, “Austin for a Better Future" popped up on social media Monday with the group publishing "Austin Throws Away $1 Billion!" to Facebook:

According to the video’s narrator, if the city decides to partner with the MLS team, it will be at the "expense of our community."

The group alleges that council wants to “give away $1 billion of taxpayer money to a private, FOR-PROFIT corporation in New York, even though Austin voters oppose it.”

“Wouldn’t you rather spend that money fixing our roads, giving our teachers a raise, or solving homelessness?? Call the Mayor and your City Council member before they pass this Billion Dollar Giveaway.”

BillionDollarGiveaway.com was also purchased by the PAC, delivers the same message.

AUSTIN-AREA CHAMBERS PLEDGE SUPPORT

On Tuesday, Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce announced joint support for the Austin City Council item sponsored by Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo, Mayor Steve Adler, Council Member Sabino ‘Pio’ Renteria and Council Member Delia Garza regarding the resolution. 

"This proposal has the potential to unify our community while revitalizing an unused site that has sat vacant for more than 20 years,” Edgar Gierbolini, president and CEO, Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, said. “It will provide a new green space in a park-deficient area of our city with no cost to taxpayers.”

"Precourt Sports Ventures has demonstrated its commitment to the Austin community especially with their goal of playing the entire 2019 season in Austin. City of Austin leaders only have a limited window of time to act for a shot at a Major League Soccer franchise. If not, the extraordinary opportunity goes away,” said Phil Wilson, chairman of the board, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.

"Bringing Major League Soccer is a logical and critically important step in Austin’s evolution to being an inclusive, world-class city that embraces Hispanic heritage, health and wellness, diversity, the burgeoning impact of the millennial generation, and economic prosperity.  Precourt’s commitment to the generation of new jobs and being inclusive of local small and minority owned businesses are aligned with not only our Chamber’s values, but our community’s as well," Christopher Rios, chairman of the board, Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said.

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Council members Alison Alter, Ora Houston, Leslie Pool and Ellen Troxclair have an item on Thursday's agenda (Item 60) that would ask the city manager to consider other plans for developing 10414 McKalla Place in addition to the soccer stadium such as mixed-used developments.