NFL's Washington Commanders Pay $100M For Possible Stadium Site In Virginia
The embattled Washington Commanders NFL franchise has acquired a 200-acre site deep in the Virginia suburbs that could be the future home of a stadium and $3B development.
The franchise has acquired the site, in Woodbridge near Interstate 95 and the Potomac Mills shopping center, for $100M, a source with knowledge of the deal confirmed to Bisnow. ESPN first reported the property sale, while the Richmond Times-Dispatch first reported its location.
Renderings published by the Times-Dispatch show the team is thinking big. The development of and around the stadium could total $3B and feature new team offices, as well as other office buildings, apartments and a nearly mile-long walkway of retail with restaurants and bars, that can be activated both during game days and as a regular amenity for tenants and visitors.
The plans also include a 15,000- to 20,000-person amphitheater. The team would move its headquarters to the site if it's selected, anchoring a resort-style convention center in Prince William County. The plans are in line with the trend of sports teams as developers with projects like The Battery in Cobb County, Georgia, a large, mixed-use development owned by the Atlanta Braves and anchored by their stadium, Truist Park.
A spokesperson for the Commanders said the team is still considering other locations for a future stadium, which could in Maryland, D.C. or elsewhere in Northern Virginia. The team is under contract to stay at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, until 2026.
A Maryland proposal released earlier this year would see the state fund an entertainment district around FedEx Field, but state lawmakers have so far been reluctant to offer economic incentives to the team itself.
Washington's bid for the site largely hinges on the federal government's control of the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium site, where the team played its final game in 1996. The site is owned by the federal government and leased to D.C., but District officials are trying to gain full control in order to build a mixed-use district there anchored by a Commanders stadium.
Virginia lawmakers have proposed the largest economic incentive package so far: $350M to help finance a new stadium, in a bill still waiting to be approved in the state legislature.
Besides the Woodbridge site, an area near the team's current practice facility in Loudoun County is also under consideration as a possible home for the stadium, ESPN reported.
The purchase occurs as team owner Dan Snyder faces continued scrutiny from the NFL and Congress over his management of the team, which has included sexual harassment scandals and allegations of financial improprieties. NFL owners are reportedly "counting the votes" to see if they have the numbers needed to formally vote to kick Snyder out of the league, per a USA Today report.
UPDATE, MAY 24, 1 P.M. ET: After news of the deal broke, the Washington Post reported that Virginia state legislators were told the team had acquired an option to purchase the land, but hadn’t yet made the acquisition outright. The deal isn’t yet reflected in Prince William County property records.
