They have had to wait for it for many years, but DC United finally seem to be getting closer to building their own soccer-specific stadium.
The club has long tried to follow the string of MLS clubs that built new homes and subsequently saw attendances jump up, but they came never close to reaching a deal with the city of Washington DC about a location. Instead, they have had to keep playing their home matches at the much-too-large and ill-suited RFK Stadium.
Now, however, they have finally come to an agreement with the city over building a new stadium at Buzzard Point in the south of DC. The club will pay for building the stadium and the city for the land and infrastructure.
“This is an exciting plan that moves the District forward in two areas about which I’m passionate — economic development, particularly in the East End of the District, and sports,” said Mayor Gray. “The new soccer stadium is the final piece in the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative puzzle that, when complete will create the most vibrant and sustainable sports-and-retail district in America.”
DC United aim for a stadium with a capacity of 20,000 t0 25,000 seats, which is pretty much in line with what has been built elsewhere in the US. They also released a few renderings of the design, though specifically stated that these were still preliminary and subject to change.
The club, of course, showed delight in having reached a deal:
“We are proud to say that D.C. United has achieved a major milestone towards establishing a permanent, state-of-the-art home in Washington, D.C.,” said United managing partner Jason Levien. “This is a significant step forward, and we are going to continue to work diligently and collaboratively with the Mayor’s office and the D.C. Council to expedite this process and make this stadium a reality.”
That said, there is still a long legal road ahead before spades can go into the ground and United fans will be holding their breath and hope that this time luck will be on their side.