DC United Resuscitate Stadium Talks With District Officials

Payne Now Leading Stadium Negotiations

DC United President Kevin Payne recently "re-engaged DC officials in discussing" the construction of a new soccer stadium at Poplar Point, an idea that "seemed completely dead months ago," according to O'Connell & Krouse of the WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL. A source said that Payne  met with DC Council member Jack Evans and U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) to "ask that they reconsider partially funding a soccer-only stadium" at the site. Payne, who is "leading the discussions" for a new stadium since former DC United co-Exec Chair Victor MacFarlane sold his stake in the team, confirmed that he is "talking with several local jurisdictions but that he hopes DC will reconsider stadium financing." Payne: "We're doing a lot of due diligence in trying to understand which options are the best for us, where there's the political will to get something done. I'm hoping we can narrow the choices down to one sometime this fall." The team's "aim is still to build a 20,000-seat stadium" estimated at around $175M. United has played at RFK Stadium since MLS' inception in '96, and the team's stadium lease expires after the '10 season. O'Connell & Krouse note the discussions with DC mark a "boomerang return to the negotiating table for the city and the team," which earlier this year vowed to build a new stadium in Prince George's County, Maryland, though those talks have ended as well. However, DC's ability to "finance major projects is arguably worse than it was when United was initially in talks" for a Poplar Point stadium in '07 (WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 7/24 issue).

YOU NEVER SAUSAGE A PLACE: DC United and Johnsonville Sausage have renewed their corporate partnership, whereby Johnsonville will sponsor the MLS club and RFK Stadium through the '10 season. Johnsonville as part of the deal will receive scoreboard signage, LED signage and advertising on dcunited.com. Sodexo, the concessionaire which operates RFK Stadium, will also provide Johnsonville offerings at home games. Johnsonville will also receive branded menu presence at all concession stands (Johnsonville).