Civic leaders push soccer complex

By FINN BULLERS AND PETE GRATHOFFThe Kansas City StarA group of Johnson County civic leaders has this to say about a proposed major-league soccer complex in the county: Go for it. Now.The 13 civic leaders, who have been meeting since November to study the idea, are expected to tell county commissioners this morning that the project must include a professional stadium, youth fields and retail venues if it is to become a Midwestern destination spot. The cost of such a complex is pegged at $89 million to $125 million.But an agreement to build the complex must be struck quickly, supporters say, to meet an October deadline set by the Kansas City Wizards, the area’s professional soccer team now up for sale.Supporters want a public vote as soon as possible.“It’s kind of ‘speak now or forever hold your peace,’ ” Kevin Gray, president of the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation, said Wednesday.“If our goal is to create something very, very special for the region, I think it’s teed up perfectly for us to aggressively advance the ball down the field. We’ve talked about this for a long time.”The report, coupled with the emergence of a potential new ownership for the Wizards, brings new momentum to a drive to construct a soccer complex in the suburbs.