D.C. United Stadium
Encyclopedia
D.C. United Stadium is an informal name that has been given for several soccer-specific stadium
sites in the Washington, D.C.
area. Ever since the initial proposal in 2006, D.C. United has had two additional stadium proposals that have failed to form. The present proposal is a stadium in Buzzard Point
, seating an unconfirmed amount of people.
The first proposal, colloquially known as "Poplar Point Stadium" would have been built in the new Poplar Point neighborhood, south of the Anacostia River
, with the stadium overlooking Nationals Ballpark
, the home ballpark for the Washington Nationals
baseball team. The stadium, expected to seat 24,000–30,000; was to be part of mixed housing and development in one contractor's bid. That bid, however, stalled, when there were financial arguments as to how much of the stadium would be funded by the city, the contractors and the club itself. The initial proposal fell through in the summer of 2007. Despite the failed bid, then-mayor of D.C., Adrian Fenty
opted to have a closed door meeting in February 2008 to discuss the city funding $150 million for the club. However, despite a short-lived renowned interest, when Council took recess in July 2008, the plan never was brought up, and ultimately failed.
After the failed first bid, the second stadium plan involved constructing a stadium in adjacent Prince George's County, Maryland
. In mid-February 2009, United co-owner Victor MacFarlane, announced the club had been in discussions with the Prince George's County Board of Supervisors to discuss the possibility of a new stadium for the club. Two months later, the legislation for a new stadium failed to pass the board, leaving the club without a stadium plan.
Finally, after a two year wait, talks emerged in January 2011 about the possibility of unused land in Buzzard Point
serving as the main ground for the club.
On July 21, 2007, the Washington Post reported that talks had stalled between the team and city officials. There were disputes over the financial arrangements proposed by the team, which would have the city providing $200 million in subsidies and development rights while the team assumed construction costs. In January 2008, the team announced it was looking at other possible sites in the area for construction of the new stadium.
On February 14, 2008, Washington, D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty
suggested at a closed-door city council meeting that the city might offer as much as $150 million towards the costs of building a soccer stadium at Poplar Point. There was apparently renewed interest on the part of the city in providing public funds for the stadium at Poplar Point. However, in July 2008, the D.C. Council recessed without considering the proposed stadium plan.
On April 7, 2009, the Prince George’s County Council voted to outline its concern to the Maryland General Assembly
about a proposed state legislation that would authorize a feasibility study for the new stadium. The legislation stalled in the Statehouse and died without the support of the Prince George's Council.
In October 2009, the Baltimore Sun reported that Baltimore
mayor Sheila Dixon
has asked the Maryland Stadium Authority
to explore the possibility of building a 17,000- to 20,000-seat soccer stadium that could serve as D.C. United's permanent home, as well as host concerts, lacrosse games and other events, to woo D.C. United to Baltimore. The proposed stadium complex, according to Dixon's letter, would be part of a "green mixed-use project" with access to light rail, Interstates 95 and 295. A potential location mentioned for the stadium is in the 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) Westport Waterfront project. A feasibility study has been commissioned by the Maryland Stadium Authority was expected to be released in December 2010.
neighborhood in the city. The project, backed by the developing company Akridge, would be adjacent to Nationals Park in replace an old, underused parking lot in-between 1st and 2nd Streets SW.
Four months later, in May 2011, Akridge Properties published a website stating the potential use of the land. Both Akridge and D.C. Council have raised the possibility of the land being partially used for a new United stadium, but the club itself has declined to comment on such a stadium possibility. At the same time the team had considered a stadium at the current site of Capital City Market.
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
sites in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area. Ever since the initial proposal in 2006, D.C. United has had two additional stadium proposals that have failed to form. The present proposal is a stadium in Buzzard Point
Buzzard Point
Buzzard Point is an urbanized area located on the peninsula formed by the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers in the southwest quadrant of Washington, DC, USA.-History:...
, seating an unconfirmed amount of people.
The first proposal, colloquially known as "Poplar Point Stadium" would have been built in the new Poplar Point neighborhood, south of the Anacostia River
Anacostia River
The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. It is approximately long...
, with the stadium overlooking Nationals Ballpark
Nationals Ballpark
Nationals Park is the current ballpark for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. It is the first LEED-certified green major professional sports stadium in the United States. The facility hosted the 2008 season's first game , when the Nats took on the Atlanta Braves on March 30, 2008....
, the home ballpark for the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
baseball team. The stadium, expected to seat 24,000–30,000; was to be part of mixed housing and development in one contractor's bid. That bid, however, stalled, when there were financial arguments as to how much of the stadium would be funded by the city, the contractors and the club itself. The initial proposal fell through in the summer of 2007. Despite the failed bid, then-mayor of D.C., Adrian Fenty
Adrian Fenty
Adrian Malik Fenty was the sixth, and at age 36, the youngest, mayor of the District of Columbia. He served one term—from 2007 to 2011—losing his bid for reelection at the primary level to Democrat Vincent C. Gray...
opted to have a closed door meeting in February 2008 to discuss the city funding $150 million for the club. However, despite a short-lived renowned interest, when Council took recess in July 2008, the plan never was brought up, and ultimately failed.
After the failed first bid, the second stadium plan involved constructing a stadium in adjacent Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
. In mid-February 2009, United co-owner Victor MacFarlane, announced the club had been in discussions with the Prince George's County Board of Supervisors to discuss the possibility of a new stadium for the club. Two months later, the legislation for a new stadium failed to pass the board, leaving the club without a stadium plan.
Finally, after a two year wait, talks emerged in January 2011 about the possibility of unused land in Buzzard Point
Buzzard Point
Buzzard Point is an urbanized area located on the peninsula formed by the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers in the southwest quadrant of Washington, DC, USA.-History:...
serving as the main ground for the club.
Poplar Point
Originally, D.C. United proposed building a stadium at Poplar Point on the Anacostia riverfront in Washington, D.C. It would have been part of a planned 110 acre (0.4451546 km²) mixed-use development that would have included a hotel, offices, housing, and retail.On July 21, 2007, the Washington Post reported that talks had stalled between the team and city officials. There were disputes over the financial arrangements proposed by the team, which would have the city providing $200 million in subsidies and development rights while the team assumed construction costs. In January 2008, the team announced it was looking at other possible sites in the area for construction of the new stadium.
On February 14, 2008, Washington, D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty
Adrian Fenty
Adrian Malik Fenty was the sixth, and at age 36, the youngest, mayor of the District of Columbia. He served one term—from 2007 to 2011—losing his bid for reelection at the primary level to Democrat Vincent C. Gray...
suggested at a closed-door city council meeting that the city might offer as much as $150 million towards the costs of building a soccer stadium at Poplar Point. There was apparently renewed interest on the part of the city in providing public funds for the stadium at Poplar Point. However, in July 2008, the D.C. Council recessed without considering the proposed stadium plan.
Prince George's County
D.C. United co-owner Victor MacFarlane announced on February 12, 2009, that the team would instead seek a new stadium in Prince George's County.On April 7, 2009, the Prince George’s County Council voted to outline its concern to the Maryland General Assembly
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
about a proposed state legislation that would authorize a feasibility study for the new stadium. The legislation stalled in the Statehouse and died without the support of the Prince George's Council.
Baltimore waterfront
On March 23, 2010, commissioner Don Garber criticized politicians of Washington, D.C. for how long it has taken to find D.C. United a permanent home stadium.In October 2009, the Baltimore Sun reported that Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
mayor Sheila Dixon
Sheila Dixon
Sheila Ann Dixon served as the forty-eighth Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. When former Mayor Martin O'Malley was sworn in as Governor on January 17, 2007, Dixon, a Democrat, became mayor and served out the remaining year of O'Malley's term. In November 2007, she was elected mayor...
has asked the Maryland Stadium Authority
Maryland Stadium Authority
The Maryland Stadium Authority, MSA, was created by Chapter 283, Acts of 1986 Maryland General Assembly. Its initial mission was to return the National Football League to Baltimore. Maryland sought a new football team after former Baltimore Colts owner, Robert Irsay, moved the Colts out of the...
to explore the possibility of building a 17,000- to 20,000-seat soccer stadium that could serve as D.C. United's permanent home, as well as host concerts, lacrosse games and other events, to woo D.C. United to Baltimore. The proposed stadium complex, according to Dixon's letter, would be part of a "green mixed-use project" with access to light rail, Interstates 95 and 295. A potential location mentioned for the stadium is in the 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) Westport Waterfront project. A feasibility study has been commissioned by the Maryland Stadium Authority was expected to be released in December 2010.
Buzzard Point
In January 2011, it was reported that the club was looking into building a stadium in the Buzzard PointBuzzard Point
Buzzard Point is an urbanized area located on the peninsula formed by the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers in the southwest quadrant of Washington, DC, USA.-History:...
neighborhood in the city. The project, backed by the developing company Akridge, would be adjacent to Nationals Park in replace an old, underused parking lot in-between 1st and 2nd Streets SW.
Four months later, in May 2011, Akridge Properties published a website stating the potential use of the land. Both Akridge and D.C. Council have raised the possibility of the land being partially used for a new United stadium, but the club itself has declined to comment on such a stadium possibility. At the same time the team had considered a stadium at the current site of Capital City Market.