Those who have followed the drama behind the D.C. United stadium deal over the years know that with every piece of positive news that there is a catch. On Tuesday, United supporters were given the great news that D.C. Mayor-elect Murriel Bowser has given her support for the development of a new stadium for D.C. United.
But here’s the catch: she doesn’t want to include the purchase of the Reeves Center as a means of paying for the stadium.
Over Twitter, Mayor-elect Bowser said “I support building a soccer stadium in the District of Columbia, and, more than that, I support spending public dollars to get it done.”
However, she would go on to mention “We will preserve the opportunity to build affordable housing at the Reeves Center site, and we will be able to ensure we have a feasible way forward on a new Reeves Center east of the Anacostia.”
Now for those who have not followed this deal from the beginning, the Reeves Center is basically the key part of the deal that was struck between the team and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray.
The deal that is currently on the table would call for the city to sell the Reeves Center, which is a transportation building located in the U Street Corridor in the Northwest part of the city. With that money the city would then purchase land in the Buzzard Point neighborhood, which is in the Anacostia SE area of the city.
D.C. United would cover the cost of building the stadium while the city would have to pay for things such as updating street signs, sidewalks, and other things that are for public use. The city would also retain full rights to the stadium after 30 years. The entire project is expected to cost $300 million.
But the problem with the deal from the D.C. City Council’s perspective has been the sale of the Reeves Center. The residential housing market in the U St. area is very strong right now and there has been some concern that the city might now receive the full value of the area if they do not sell at an auction.
The D.C. City Council had previously hired an outside source to review the deal which showed that the deal undervalued the Reeves Center property.
D.C. United currently plays at RFK Stadium, the former home of the Washington football team. The club is currently leasing the stadium from the city although conditions at the park are declining.
Although it is good news that Bowser is interested in getting D.C. United a stadium, the fact that she does not provide an alternative (other than using public dollars) is a bit tricky. Bowser did go on to pledge that she would complete the deal by the end of the year saying, “I don’t think anybody wants to restart this conversation in January.”
D.C. United Managing General Partner Jason Levien did release a statement on the club’s website stating, “We are encouraged by the Mayor-Elect’s comments tonight and look forward to seeing her proposal. We are eager to work with her, the other members of the Council and the Mayor to get the stadium approved before the end of the year.”
The question now is what type of deal Bowser can offer and if it will be of interest to the team. The idea that Bowser, who previously was very lukewarm about the stadium, is now interested in keeping D.C. United in D.C. is great. But whether or not her deal is to the liking of D.C. United is an entirely different scenario.
So what do you think of this news? Will a deal be done to keep D.C. United in D.C.? Please give us your thoughts?