COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus City Council voted 8-0 Monday to impose a new 2% surcharge on tickets for Columbus Crew matches and other ticketed events at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, directing the revenue toward a training facility for the city’s incoming National Women’s Soccer League team. The surcharge is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2027. It will be added to an existing 5% ticket fee that supports local arts programs. NWSL games in Columbus will carry a combined 7% increase when the team begins play in 2028. The added charge is intended to help repay debt tied to the training facility, which Haslam Sports Group is building on part of McCoy Park. The league is also adding a team in Atlanta by 2028. With both expansions, the NWSL will have 18 teams. The council’s action came alongside approval of a $940,000 contract with engineering consultant Kimley-Horn and Associates to replace park amenities affected by the project. The work is targeted for completion by Sept. 30, 2027. Council members also unanimously approved rezoning 21 acres of McCoy Park for the training facility. The Development Commission and Southwest Area Commission had recommended the rezoning. The park’s future has been a point of contention in the surrounding South Side community. Nearly $1 million had been spent revitalizing McCoy Park before city officials and Haslam Sports Group began discussing the NWSL project. Residents have raised concerns about losing a public space that took years to improve. Mayor Andrew Ginther said the city would work to preserve public access and replace what the project removes. “Guided by the community engagement done to date, we’ll create a park that is accessible, both easy to get to and accessible to users with diverse needs,” Ginther said in April. The council’s votes advance both the financing structure for professional women’s soccer in Columbus and the redevelopment plan for McCoy Park, leaving the city to oversee the promised replacement amenities as construction moves forward.