DC United broke ground on its planned 19,000-seat Buzzard Point stadium in April, but the club and architects Populous and DC-based Marshall Moya Design have "been quiet" about an approved stadium design, according to Michael Neibauer of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. The DC Zoning Commission in March "had its first take" on the design, but it "didn't go as well" as the club had hoped. A new set of drawings was "released last week," showing two "fundamental changes to the initial set." There is an "addition of a two-way private street along the east side of the stadium, and an active plaza to the northeast of the stadium." The stadium design itself has been "changed only slightly, with more clarity and color provided for the stadium exterior, refinement of lower-level enclosed spaces, and material refinement." The stadium is "scheduled to open" for the '18 MLS season. DC has agreed to spend up to $150M to "acquire the land and prepare it for development, and the team will finance stadium construction." In a year or two, the club is "expected to start work on an adjacent development parcel, which is envisioned to include a single mixed-use building combining a hotel, office space, event space and/or a restaurant and retail space" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/29 issue).
CONTRACTING OUT: DC Council member Mary Cheh said that she will "hold a hearing into the abrupt resignation" of a member of Mayor Muriel Bowser's cabinet and "dismissals of two top officials this month from the city agency responsible for government construction." In DC, Aaron Davis notes the departures came after a major donor to Bowser "failed to win a couple of construction contracts." One contract "was to prepare" the $100M site on Buzzard Point that the city is providing for DC United's stadium. Bowser has also promised a $65M practice arena for the Wizards. In both cases, companies from "outside the District were chosen" over DC-based Fort Myer Construction (WASHINGTON POST, 8/31).
