New Stadium News?

[just654]

I think at this point it is DCs to lose. Big step is that bill. 

[stoshuaj]

DC, Maryland and Virginia begin wooing new Washington Commanders ownership

“Leaders in D.C., Maryland and Virginia want the Washington Commanders to choose their jurisdictions for the team’s next home when its lease at FedExField expires in 2027, and the change in ownership restarted the competition.

Competitive talks between D.C., Maryland Virginia seemed to fizzle out with many leaders in the region turned off by former owner Dan Snyder and his legal troubles.

New majority owner Josh Harris already is introducing himself to key local leaders who could play a role in where a new stadium rises.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she’s already had two discussions with Harris since he took over last week. 

 

“There’s really only one place for the team in this region,” she said Thursday. “I mean, I know, I’ve been a little coy, but ... there’s only one choice”

 

**more at link below

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/washington-commanders/dc-maryland-and-virginia-begin-wooing-new-washington-commanders-ownership/3394067/?amp=1

Edited July 29, 2023 by stoshuaj

[lavar1156]

4 minutes ago, stoshuaj said:

DC, Maryland and Virginia begin wooing new Washington Commanders ownership

“Leaders in D.C., Maryland and Virginia want the Washington Commanders to choose their jurisdictions for the team’s next home when its lease at FedExField expires in 2027, and the change in ownership restarted the competition.

Competitive talks between D.C., Maryland Virginia seemed to fizzle out with many leaders in the region turned off by former owner Dan Snyder and his legal troubles.

New majority owner Josh Harris already is introducing himself to key local leaders who could play a role in where a new stadium rises.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she’s already had two discussions with Harris since he took over last week. 

 

“There’s really only one place for the team in this region,” she said Thursday. “I mean, I know, I’ve been a little coy, but ... there’s only one choice”

 

**more at link below

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/washington-commanders/dc-maryland-and-virginia-begin-wooing-new-washington-commanders-ownership/3394067/?amp=1

 

This will be exciting. I think it comes down to DC or MD.

[tomwvr]

5 hours ago, lavar1156 said:

 

This will be exciting. I think it comes down to DC or MD.

I think you are correct. No land inside the beltway in VA and I think the new owners understand moving to VA loses much of the existing fan base. And they cannot afford to lose any fans

[SkinsFTW]

1 hour ago, tomwvr said:

I think you are correct. No land inside the beltway in VA and I think the new owners understand moving to VA loses much of the existing fan base. And they cannot afford to lose any fans

IMO they've missed more by being in Maryland for the past 25+ years. 

[tomwvr]

32 minutes ago, SkinsFTW said:

IMO they've missed more by being in Maryland for the past 25+ years. 

I can't disagree. The issue with Maryland is the Ravens were Really Really good and we had DANNY BOY. So he lost a lot of the state. In the 80s the Line of division between baltimore colts and Washington Redskins fans in Maryland was clear. South of BWI airport, west of Columbia  was all Redskins. Now the Ravens are the majority fandom in Frederick, Columbia , Eastern Short and Pittsburg is in Western MD. I lay the blame on Danny Boy. Not so much the stadium location. The problem with VA is that Traffic SUCK and football fans in Maryland at a much larger percent will start following the Maryland Team. If the stadium goes back to DC or stays in Maryland (either near national harbor or in Landover ) many old washington Redskins fans will return since Danny Boy is gone. And they cannot afford to give up the part of the fanbase in Maryland. 

[SkinsFTW]

Also, In DC isn't there a metro station right there?

 

That would be huge for fans not wanting to deal with the traffic.

 

When I lived in VA, I was in Lynchburg. I'd drive up to Manassas and take the train in to the city whenever I needed to go there. Several times I took my wife to go to the embassy to do immigration stuff and that saved a lot of headaches for sure. 

[lavar1156]

Check out the first picture. (Wes is a Ravens fan).

 

 

[dyst]

17 hours ago, SkinsFTW said:

IMO they've missed more by being in Maryland for the past 25+ years. 

I wouldn’t even be surprised if most of the money comes from VA fans and those filling the stadiums are from the VA side. DC makes the most sense though. 

Edited July 30, 2023 by dyst

[RVAskins]

I didn't think the RFK site was feasible with the old ownership. You would hear talk that they wanted a Casino and shopping as part of the stadium. I think with new ownership, those plans have changed. Harris wants to created the stadium atmosphere he experienced as a kid. I don't hear anything about a Casino or creating Jerry World. RFK would be the best place for all fans.

[Koolblue13]

1 hour ago, RVAskins said:

I didn't think the RFK site was feasible with the old ownership. You would hear talk that they wanted a Casino and shopping as part of the stadium. I think with new ownership, those plans have changed. Harris wants to created the stadium atmosphere he experienced as a kid. I don't hear anything about a Casino or creating Jerry World. RFK would be the best place for all fans.

Snyder was trying to build the Command center multipurpose stadium attraction, where football could be played.

 

Harris wants to build a football stadium. That's the priority. 

 

It's going to be the old RFK site.

[bearrock]

Took the metro today to go see Premier League games at fedex today.  The damn stadium belongs in DC near a metro station.  The access is so bad for both public transportation and car, it's lose/lose.

[lavar1156]

20 minutes ago, bearrock said:

Took the metro today to go see Premier League games at fedex today.  The damn stadium belongs in DC near a metro station.  The access is so bad for both public transportation and car, it's lose/lose.

They claim a new stadium in MD would be closer to the Largo metro station but yeah I agree. Also, Magic Johnson owns the AMC Largo Theater. 

[YourWish is MyCommanders]

This Franchise belongs in D.C.

It’s time to bring it back to the Nations Capital. 

[RFK Lives]

I know it's nostalgic but to have that camera shot looking out on to the National Mall with the large flag with whatever the new name will be fluttering in the right side of the pic, I can almost hear Brent Musburger's voice saying "You are looking live at..."

 

Make it happen.

[RVAskins]

29 minutes ago, RFK Lives said:

I know it's nostalgic but to have that camera shot looking out on to the National Mall with the large flag with whatever the new name will be fluttering in the right side of the pic, I can almost hear Brent Musburger's voice saying "You are looking live at..."

 

Make it happen.

And I can hear him say "for the XXX consecutive sellout"

[tshile]

On 7/29/2023 at 4:38 PM, tomwvr said:

I think you are correct. No land inside the beltway in VA and I think the new owners understand moving to VA loses much of the existing fan base. And they cannot afford to lose any fans

 

On 7/29/2023 at 6:07 PM, SkinsFTW said:

IMO they've missed more by being in Maryland for the past 25+ years. 

 

On 7/30/2023 at 11:26 AM, dyst said:

I wouldn’t even be surprised if most of the money comes from VA fans and those filling the stadiums are from the VA side. DC makes the most sense though. 

Back when I was a season ticket holder, they started having off season season ticket holder meetings with higher ups in the org. 
 

During discussions it was mentioned the vast majority of season ticket holders lived inside or just outside Northern VA. 
 

so I’ve always rolled my eyes at the idea they would lose fans, from an attendance perspective, because they’d be moving closer to the majority of their season ticket holder base. 
 

that said - I want it in DC. If that can’t happen I’d choose VA over MD but I recognize there’s not a lot of options in VA and all of them are bad options….

Edited August 1, 2023 by tshile

[lavar1156]

 

This is the same clown that wants less police in DC. No wonder people complain about Chinatown these days.

 

[Skinsinparadise]

D.C. Council mixed in positions on RFK stadium, but backs new federal bill

As the mayor arrived at Nationals Park for a news conference in the hot stickiness of Thursday morning, a Nationals official took the lectern and started things off with a story.

“It was about 19 years ago that our city was wrestling with the question of whether to seek a Major League Baseball team and build a stadium,” began Gregory McCarthy, the team’s senior vice president of community engagement, as he stood on a balcony overlooking the ballpark. “However, there were some doubters.”

 

 

To the ears of at least a few Washington Commanders fans, he might as well have been talking about RFK Stadium.

As with Nationals Park 19 years ago, the future of RFK is approaching a crossroads, with many die-hard Commanders fans embracing a return of the team to its hometown, but some lawmakers doubting that a football stadium project is the best use of the valuable riverfront real estate. Federal legislation that would give D.C. control of RFK introduced Thursday by Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) has reinvigorated that debate, inching the District a step closer to redeveloping RFK even though concrete proposals may be a long way off.

 

Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), who wants to turn the site into a Commanders stadium and mixed-use development, celebrated the bill at her event Thursday. The legislation, if passed, would extend the District’s lease of the RFK land from the federal government for 99 years and modify it so that the city would be allowed to redevelop RFK into any number of possibilities: residential and commercial, recreational facilities, and, of course, a stadium.

 

But council members, when asked by The Washington Post about their positions, varied greatly in their openness or opposition to a stadium, portending a heated debate in the months ahead about the future of the site.

While they expressed broad support for Comer’s bill, enthusiasm for a Commanders stadium is lukewarm among council members. Of the 11 of 13 members who answered questions from The Post, five expressed some level of openness to turning RFK into a stadium. Three were clearly opposed or leaned in opposition. The rest offered vague or noncommittal answers, or didn’t respond. Council member Trayon White Sr. (D-Ward 8), who has previously expressed support for returning the Commanders to D.C., did not respond to questions; a spokeswoman said he was out of town. Council member Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4), who last year opposed a Commanders stadium, declined to answer questions.

 

...The mayor on Thursday announced a new “sports team” within her administration that will be tasked with retaining and expanding existing D.C. sports teams and opportunities in D.C., while also attracting new ones ― such as the Commanders. The study will include looking at financial models for stadium construction that other cities have used and assessing what may work for D.C. at RFK, said Keith Anderson, interim deputy mayor of economic development and planning.

The idea of a new stadium finds opposition in council members Brianne K. Nadeau (D-Ward 1) and Charles Allen (D-Ward 6). Mendelson appears to lean in opposition: He maintains he will not entertain any proposals that could help the Washington Commanders until the NFL releases a report, or summary of findings, from an investigation led by Beth Wilkinson into allegations of sexual harassment involving Snyder.

 

After Comer’s bill was introduced Thursday, Allen argued that NFL stadiums “deliver very little long-term in terms of jobs and economic activity,” doubting it would generate the boost supporters hope for.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/07/29/dc-council-rfk-stadium-commanders-bill/

[tomwvr]

9 hours ago, tshile said:

 

 

Back when I was a season ticket holder, they started having off season season ticket holder meetings with higher ups in the org. 
 

During discussions it was mentioned the vast majority of season ticket holders lived inside or just outside Northern VA. 
 

so I’ve always rolled my eyes at the idea they would lose fans, from an attendance perspective, because they’d be moving closer to the majority of their season ticket holder base. 
 

that said - I want it in DC. If that can’t happen I’d choose VA over MD but I recognize there’s not a lot of options in VA and all of them are bad options….

The issue is not what part is the largest part of the fan base. The issue is under snyder he gave away much of the maryland fan base. Did nothing to keep them. And if they build a new stadium in VA the new owners will continue that action. And in doing so will surrender the rest of maryland and even if they are 20-25 percent of the ticket holders they can not afford to lose them. They wont gain that same amount in VA. And as a business it would be insane to give up the rest of maryland .
 

The RFK site is the one I think is the Best, but then the  national harbor site and Landover are better than any site in VA outside the beltway. 

[Barry.Randolphe]

Quote

After Comer’s bill was introduced Thursday, Allen argued that NFL stadiums “deliver very little long-term in terms of jobs and economic activity,” doubting it would generate the boost supporters hope for.

 

He's not wrong. That's why I was hoping for Bezos so he could fund it 100% himself.

 

This is why the stadium needs to be a retractable dome stadium so it can be used year round, rain or shine, to host football games, college games, soccer games, concerts, graduations, etc

[Conn]

1 hour ago, Barry.Randolphe said:

He's not wrong. That's why I was hoping for Bezos so he could fund it 100% himself.

Hate to break it to you, but if you follow any of his other business ventures you’d know Bezos was never going to do that. 

[c slag]

If the stadium stays in Landover, are they planning on building the new  stadium next to the existing one?

Like they did in New Jersey with Met Life stadium next door to the old Giants stadium?

How about that church with that blue colored roof, wonder if they would be on board with all that construction and demolition?

 

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

I just keep coming back to the idea that big downtown football stadiums are empty 350ish days a year.

 

It's such an odd investment and use of urban space, particularly in a northeast city where you probably aren't going to get big-time college football games.  Baseball stadiums at least are used 1/4 of the year and an arena could conceivably be used every day.

[spjunkies]

37 minutes ago, Lombardi's_kid_brother said:

I just keep coming back to the idea that big downtown football stadiums are empty 350ish days a year.

 

It's such an odd investment and use of urban space, particularly in a northeast city where you probably aren't going to get big-time college football games.  Baseball stadiums at least are used 1/4 of the year and an arena could conceivably be used every day.

 

Fair enough, but a downtown stadium gets you mega events (Superbowl, Final Four, Wrestlemania, Olympics, Taylor Swift/Beyonce, Olympics) which can bring dramatic revenue to the area.