A group opposed to the deal to build a Major League Soccer stadium on city-owned land in North Austin filed a petition Thursday that could make the agreement eligible for a vote. 

The group, Friends of McKalla Place, announced in a news release that it has filed a petition with 29,000 signatures at City Hall. If enough of those signatures are verified, it would require the city to either adopt the petition’s proposed ordinance or possibly hold an election on the stadium.

The ordinance would not be a direct referendum on the stadium deal that was signed on Dec. 19. Instead, it calls for future elections on deals for stadiums or concert venues that are built on city-owned land.

The city’s contract with Precourt Sports Ventures is for a 20,000-seat stadium at the McKalla Place tract near the Domain that would be the home of the Austin FC. In exchange for building the stadium, Precourt Sports Ventures would rent the land from the city at below-market rates and avoid paying property taxes.

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