Audi Field is a soccer-specific stadium under construction in Buzzard Point in Washington, D.C. It will be the home stadium for the D.C. United team of Major League Soccer, and will seat 20,000 people. Previously, D.C. United had explored sites in the Washington, D.C. area. Ever since an initial stadium proposal in 2006, D.C. United has had two additional stadium proposals that failed to be built.
In January 2011, the possibility of unused land in Buzzard Point being the site of a stadium emerged. In July 2013, Buzzard Point was announced as the stadium location. The ground-breaking ceremony happened in February 2017, with a planned schedule to complete construction in June 2018.
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History
Early proposals
D.C. United and Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber raised concerns about scheduling conflicts with the Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium in July 2004, with the latter stating that a soccer-specific stadium in Washington, D.C. "needs to become a priority". Later that year, D.C. United unveiled a proposal to build a 24,000-seat stadium at Poplar Point along the Anacostia River, to open in time for the 2007 season. The stadium's size was later increased to 27,000 and incorporated into a mixed-use development on the site to the revitalize the Anacostia neighborhood, with the support of Ward 8 councilmember Marion Barry after he initially opposed the stadium.
The stadium project was neglected by the city's leadership during the debate over a baseball stadium in Navy Yard. After a change of ownership for D.C. United in January 2007, the $200 million stadium project was moved into public review, where it drew criticism over its public financing, gentrification, and displacement of residents. By mid-July, the Poplar Point plan was abandoned and D.C. United began looking at other locations for the stadium.
Despite the failed bid, then-Mayor 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 renewed interest, when the D.C. Council recessed in July 2008, the plan never was brought up, and ultimately died after the main developer for the Poplar Point project withdrew their funding.
In February 2009, the team announced plans for a new stadium in nearby Prince George's County, Maryland close to FedEx Field. This proposal ran into similar trouble, however, when the Prince George's County Council voted to send a letter to the Maryland General Assembly opposing the stadium plan.
Buzzard Point
In January 2011, the Web site Greater Greater Washington reported that the club was looking into building a stadium in the Buzzard Point neighborhood in the city. The project involved land owned by the Akridge Development Co. only a few blocks from Nationals Park. By May, according to the Washington Post, the team was also considering a stadium at a site near the Capital City Market and the Westport neighborhood of Baltimore.
In late May 2012, D.C. United was sold to a group led by Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir and attorney Jason Levien, with former principal owner William Chang remaining as a minority partner. The new owners said Buzzard Point remained their preferred option for a new stadium site. A few days after the sale was announced, The Washington Post obtained a confidential draft report, commissioned by the Greater Washington Sports Alliance (a private, nonprofit foundation), which said a 24,000-seat stadium would cost $157 million to build (which did not include the price of land). Construction of the stadium could generate $19.5 million in wages and $38 million in spending, and the completed stadium would likely employ 600 to 800 part- and full-time jobs as well as $5.5 million to $7.3 million a year in tax revenue. The study assumed the stadium would include an $82 million mixed-use development as well.
On July 25, 2013, the District of Columbia and D.C. United announced a tentative deal to build a $300 million, 20,000-25,000 seat stadium at Buzzard Point. The deal required the District of Columbia to obtain the Akridge land at Buzzard Point in exchange for cash and title to the Frank D. Reeves Municipal Center (the city's primary government office building, located in the desirable Shaw neighborhood). D.C. United would contribute $150 million to construct the stadium on the city-owned land, which it would lease for 20 to 35 years. The deal also gave D.C. United the right to build restaurants, bars, and even a hotel nearby. The Buzzard Point plan -- officially known as the District of Columbia Soccer Stadium Act of 2014 -- was approved by the D.C. City Council on December 17, 2014.
The December legislation significantly revised the July 2013 agreement. No longer would the city give Akridge a building and cash; now the city would pay fair market value for the Akridge land. If a deal could not be reached through negotiation, the legislation gave the city the right to use eminent domain to seize the land. In another revision, the city agreed to contribute the $150 million to purchase land for the stadium. $89 million of this amount was for land acquisition, while another $61 million would be to improve utilities, remove toxic and hazardous wastes, and clear the land for construction. D.C. United also agreed to spend at least $150 million for stadium construction. The legislation did not provide the club with $7 million in sales tax breaks it sought, but did give it $43 million in property tax credits. Outgoing Mayor Vincent Gray signed the bill into law on December 30, as one of the final acts of his term.
Negotiations between the city and Akridge began in January 2015. D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson was downbeat about the talks, saying the two sides were "very far apart" on a price. In February, club officials estimated that the stadium would take 14 to 16 months to construct. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Gray's successor, budgeted $106.3 million in fiscal 2016 to acquire the stadium site, add infrastructure (such as water, sewer, electrical, and natural gas lines), and remove toxic hazards at the site. The budget provided for borrowing $106 million and reprogramming $32 million away from the city's school modernization program to pay for the city's stadium costs. The D.C. City Council began working on legislation to permanently close several city streets that crossed the stadium land in April 2015.
As the city and club came close to finalizing its lease agreement in May, D.C. United began talking with city, county, and state officials in Virginia about abandoning the District of Columbia and constructing a stadium in Northern Virginia. The talks became public knowledge on June 1. D.C. officials were outraged, although they conceded the initiative was probably just a negotiating tactic to get the city to sweeten its deal. The controversy did not appear to harm the talks, as on June 8, D.C. United and the city signed a final construction agreement. The agreement required that the facility seat a minimum of 17,000 people, and established the term of the lease at 30 years for a minimal $1 per year. The agreement also contained a clause governing land: If the cost of land acquisition rose above $150 million, D.C. United was required to reimburse the city 50% of the excess (although the club's commitment was capped at $10 million). The club was also barred from playing more than an occasional home game away from the Buzzard Point stadium (e.g., barred from relocating for the term of the lease). Mayor Bowser then submitted the agreement, as well as land purchase agreements and a revised developer agreement, to the City Council for approval. The land purchase agreements paid Pepco $39.3 million for land and $1 million to remove electrical generation equipment from its site, $15.9 million for land owned by Super Salvage, and $10.32 million for land owned by developer Mark Ein (owner of the Washington Kastles professional tennis team). The cost of the land purchase agreements was offset by a deal for Pepco to purchase a $15 million city-owned parcel of land at 1st and K Streets NW. The council approved the land purchase agreements on June 30, 2015.
Under the terms of the June 8 agreement, D.C. United was required to submit a concept design for the stadium to the city by September 1, 2015. The District of Columbia faced a deadline for September 30, 2015, to use eminent domain to acquire the Akridge land, which forces the club to commit to building a stadium before the city finished purchasing land. On September 30, the District of Columbia filed for eminent domain for the Akridge parcel.
On February 15, 2017, German automobile manufacturer Audi and D.C. United announced a "long-term" naming rights deal for the new stadium. The Washington Post reported that the deal is for a minimum of twelve years. Audi's United States headquarters are located in Herndon, Virginia, a suburb of Washington.
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Other sites considered
Before deciding on Buzzard Point as its stadium location, D.C. United had previously considered alternative locations in Washington D.C. and in Maryland. After reaching the deal with Washington, the team discussed potential sites in Northern Virginia with local officials.
Poplar Point
Originally, D.C. United proposed building a stadium at Poplar Point on the Anacostia riverfront in Washington, D.C. as part of a planned 110-acre (0.45 km2) mixed-use development that would have included a hotel, offices, housing, and retail. Plans were formulated as early as 2005 and were formally announced in January 2007.
However, in July 2007, the talks 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.
In February 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.
With sites in Maryland entering the discussion, negotiations continued throughout 2008 before collapsing in early 2009 as the developer pulled out of the project.
Prince George's County
Maryland first expressed an interest in United as talks stalled in summer 2007. United co-owner Victor MacFarlane announced in February 2009, that the team would instead seek a new stadium in Prince George's County.
However, county officials began expressing concerns about revenue from the stadium in March, and on April 7, 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.
Following the failure of the Prince George's County proposal, United began surveying fans about the possibility of relocating to Loudoun County, Virginia, Frederick County, Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland. However, no public negotiations ever began.
Baltimore
Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon asked the Maryland Stadium Authority in October 2009 to explore building a soccer stadium to serve as D.C. United's home, as well as host concerts, lacrosse games and other events, to woo D.C. United to Baltimore. A potential location mentioned for the stadium was the 42-acre (170,000 m2) Westport Waterfront project, and the proposed stadium would have access to light rail, Interstates 95 and 295.
Meanwhile, in March 2010, MLS commissioner Don Garber criticized politicians of Washington, D.C. for how long it has taken to find D.C. United a permanent home stadium.
Discussions continued with Baltimore and other sites in Maryland, with a feasibility study released in December 2010. However, the club opted to refocus its efforts on finding a location within the District.
Loudoun County
In May 2015, team officials visited potential sites in Loudoun County, Virginia, and met with county and state officials about building a stadium in Northern Virginia rather than Washington. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe's economic development team suggested sites in Woodbridge, Virginia and Loudoun, while Loudoun County officials had multiple meetings with team officials . In a letter to the team, Loudoun economic development director Buddy Rizer wrote that a stadium in Virginia would be $38 million cheaper than in D.C. and be ready by the 2017 season, which the team claimed was not possible in Washington.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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