D.C. government squabbling over stadium
3 min read
Bloomberg News
The possibility of building a $3.7 billion, state of the art NFL stadium complex in Southeast Washington D.C. while tapping an estimated $1 billion in public money is currently stalled at the twenty-yard line, possibly because of bad communication.
“Inaccurate statements continue to be made regarding Council action on the Mayor’s proposed deal with the Washington Commanders,” said D.C. City Council Chairman Phil Mendelson via a statement on Wednesday.
“The Commanders have said the earliest they would need the District’s money and go to the bond markets to finance construction is next summer. We will work within the Commanders’ 2030 timetable.”
Mendelson has been playing the role of the cautious investor, while Washinton D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is quarterbacking a two-minute offense.
“There are very specific timelines that the team needs to meet,” said Bowser. “Uncertainty created by the council will leave a big avenue for another jurisdiction to meet their timeline.”
The NFL’s Commanders currently play their home games at Northwestern Stadium in Prince George’s County, Maryland and are scheduled to remain there until sometime between 2027-2029 depending on when a new stadium is complete.
The main bone of contention is a July 15 deadline for the Council to give preliminary approval of the deal by including it in the 2026 budget. The budget was delayed in getting to the Council by an
If the Council doesn’t hit the deadline, the team has the right to open negotiations with other stadium sites. Mendelson believes he’s on the same page as the team.
“I have met several times with the Commanders, and I have made clear that the July 15th deadline – a date not set by the Council and which we knew nothing about – was ‘off the table.’ It’s not even close to characterize their reaction as “furious.”
Mayor Bowser maintains the team was “blindsided” and is “outraged,” by the possibility of a delay.
If the deal stays together, the project will transform 180-acres of surface parking lots and a dilapidated stadium into a mixed-use development that includes housing, hospitality, and a new stadium serving as an anchor tenant.
The city’s leadership considers professional sports as a formidable economic engine and has already committed
In 2008 the city ponied up $535 million in revenue bonds to finance a built-from scratch baseball stadium for MLB’s Washington Nationals that is scheduled for an
Despite the current bruhaha Chair Mendelson is downplaying the possible delay.
“There is no plan to take the monies out of the budget,” he said. “I have heard over and over from citizens and fellow council members that the Council should do due diligence of this multi-billion-dollar deal before voting to approve it.”
