SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The board of Spokane Public Schools has approved construction of a new $31 million sports stadium in the downtown area near the Spokane Arena.

The 4-1 vote on Wednesday capped almost three years of controversy over where to build the district’s new 5,000-seat stadium, which will be used for football, soccer and other events.

In 2018, almost two-thirds of Spokane voters said they preferred building the new stadium on the north side of Spokane, but a group called the Downtown Spokane Partnership, commissioned a study projecting a downtown stadium had a chance of attracting a minor league soccer team.