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Eager to secure sufficient political support for a proposed return to the District of Columbia, the Commanders have improved their offer.
The new commitments from the team for the stadium and mixed-use development include:
- Accepting financial responsibility for all cost overruns.
- Investing $50 million in community benefits over 30 years, with $20 million of that money focused on developing a youth sports complex that will be located adjacent to the new stadium. Another $10 million is earmarked for basic services in Ward 7, where the venue will be located, including subsidies for grocery stores in an area that has been described as a “food desert.”
- Committing to a plan to build the new facility to top environmental standards. Ecological concerns were among the most frequently cited issues during a marathon hearing Tuesday lasting nearly 14 hours and centered on testimony from the public.
- Developing open spaces in the RFK campus “with diverse uses in mind, including, but not limited to, a skate park, pole vaulting areas, a dog park, public plazas, and traditional parks.”
- Agreeing to discuss potential collaborations with the NWSL’s Washington Spirit, and that “working with the Spirit … may result in a mutually beneficial relationship.” The soccer team currently plays at Audi Field. Magic Johnson is an investor in both the Commanders and Spirit. This element will mean designing the stadium with hosting soccer in mind, particularly for major matches, Clouse said, but no decisions have been made about that team’s long-term home.
- Maintaining the legacy of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, whose name is used for the stadium property in question.
- Pausing planned development of a third parking structure at the site to further evaluate the need for one, while also promoting greater use of public transportation, including potentially with an additional Metrorail station.
The team’s enhanced commitments generally drew a positive reaction, even from council members who had previously expressed skepticism over the project.
“I think we’ve made progress with this commitment letter,” from the Commanders, said council member Charles Allen, who has frequently spoken out against the stadium agreement.
The Athletic (paywall)
If the D.C. Council’s vote on the Washington Commanders’ proposed new stadium is a fait accompli, one would hate to see what a less certain process looks like.
Over two days, as the Council contemplated its Friday vote on a proposed 65,000-seat stadium for the Commanders, there was discussion — sometimes heated — about parking. About unions. About the Metrorail. More about parking. About jobs, whether union or non-union, and how much they would pay. About...
Hogs Haven
