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A St. Louis ownership group has announced plans for a Major League Soccer expansion bid, the league announced.

The group, SC STL, is expected to fund much of the project, which includes a new soccer-specific stadium in the city. The stadium project is estimated at just below $200 million, while the group will also pay for the MLS expansion fee and the acquisition of Saint Louis FC, a new USL club, which they hope to elevate to MLS.

"With its rich soccer heritage, St. Louis has always been a market of great interest to Major League Soccer and SC STL is the ideal ownership group that will provide St. Louis the best opportunity for a future expansion team," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement.

"We have had very productive meetings with lead investor Paul Edgerley and his partners and will continue to do so as they work to bring an expansion team to St. Louis. Their downtown site is the ideal location for a new stadium and we look forward to helping them make it a reality."

According to the league release, MLS officials hope to visit in December to meet with ownership, team officials, fans and more.

This is just another step in the rapid expansion of MLS. Since 2010, the league has added six teams, with many more set to join. Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC are joining in 2017, while Los Angeles FC joins in 2018. There are still plans for a Miami franchise, while there has also been some talk about FC Cincinatti of USL making the leap at some point.

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