It has been 15 years since a professional sports team called Plant City home, but with the recent agreement between VisionPro Sports Institute Inc. and city commissioners, that soon will change.
VisionPro’s United Soccer League pro squad, VSI Tampa Bay FC, will play its inaugural season at Plant City Stadium, the former spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds baseball.
After Plant City commissioners agreed March 25 to pursue a short-term lease agreement for the stadium with VisionPro, work began to convert the stadium from a softball field to a soccer complex. VSI Tampa Bay FC, which will carry the nickname Flames, will hold its USL home opener when they host the Rochester Rhinos April 13, at the stadium.
That timeline gives VisionPro less than three weeks from the lease agreement approval to get the stadium ready to host a professional soccer match.
“Things are going great, and some major things are going into motion this week,” said Director of Soccer Clay Roberts, a former Plant City High School soccer player and alumnus. “We’re excited about making a home in Plant City and are looking to build a long-term relationship there.”
The existing clay area at the stadium is being replaced with appropriate sod and irrigation. The outfield fencing also is being reconfigured, and bleachers will be added to the outfield, as well as temporary visiting-team locker-room facilities.
“We would love to have a huge fan base,” Roberts said. “There is no doubt that Plant City is identified as a soccer community in the Tampa Bay area with recreation, youth and club numbers at an all-time high. Soccer is expanding in Tampa Bay, with 70-plus youth clubs. Having our teams play in a place like Plant City was attractive to us.”
The talented Tampa Bay FC roster comprises former MLS players and rising stars. Players hail from as close as Brandon and St. Petersburg, to as far away as Brazil, Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, and Ukraine.
“Our team is very diverse in culture,” Roberts said. “That’s something that I think will attract a diverse group of fans from all over.”
The Flames dropped their season opener to Phoenix March 30, before picking up their first win Tuesday, against the Los Angeles Blues.
They will wrap up their season-opening, three-game road trip Sunday, at Portland, before making their debut in Plant City the following week.
The VSI Tampa Bay FC USL Pro team, along with its PDL League (under 23), the Super 20s (under 20) and the W-League (women) will call Plant City home through August, with an option to extend through September. The short-term lease will not affect the city’s current process of finding a permanent tenant or new owner for Plant City Stadium. Roberts said VisionPro is interested in submitting a bid to become a long-term tenant of the stadium.
“We do plan to put in a bid for the land available in Plant City,” Roberts said about the stadium.