Maryland Bill For DC United Stadium Will Remove Talk Of Bonds
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DC United Narrows Potential Sites For New
Stadium In Maryland Down To Two |
A bill before the Maryland Legislature calling for a new MLS DC United Stadium in Prince George's County is "expected to be amended to remove any mention of the state selling bonds to finance the project," according to Tim Lemke of the WASHINGTON TIMES. Maryland state delegate Melony Griffith, the bill's sponsor, yesterday at a hearing before the Maryland state House of Delegates Appropriations Committee said that the new version of the legislation would call for the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) to "enter into negotiations with the county and United about the new facility." Lemke notes the change is an "apparent reaction to residents' concerns that the project was moving too quickly without public input." The original version of the bill, introduced last month, specified that the MSA could sell up to $178M in bonds to finance a new stadium. Committee members yesterday offered "little reaction to the bill." DC United officials said that they still would "need to work with the stadium authority and county planners on identifying and preparing a site and all parties would have to agree on a financing plan." Prince George's County also would hold hearings on the issue. DC United co-Exec Chair Victor MacFarlane yesterday indicated that the team has "narrowed its list of potential sites for the stadium to two," and said that the team "hopes to choose a site within the next month and develop a master plan for the area" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 3/18). Griffith said the bill "does not make the stadium a done deal." Griffith: "Shovels are not going into the ground if this bill passes." She added the process will provide "an opportunity to see if there is a consensus around this" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 3/17).
WORKING ON THAT TRAIN: In DC, Rosalind Helderman reports Prince George's County Exec Jack Johnson yesterday in a letter formally asked Metro to "sell land the transit agency owns at the Morgan Boulevard subway station" in Landover, Maryland, to the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission for use as a DC United stadium site. Johnson in the letter said that the commission would "like to construct offices on the land as well" as a United facility. Johnson's letter did not propose a purchase price, though he said that the team, the county and the commission "all believe a stadium at the centrally located Metro station could drive economic development that would benefit the county." The proposed stadium will cost an estimated $180-195M, of which DC United is expected to pay 25% (WASHINGTON POST, 3/18).
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