D.C. is looking at a new Commanders stadium with second study
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RFK Stadium. Photo: Craig Hudson/The Washington Post via Getty Images
D.C. is paying over half a million dollars to a Los Angeles-based firm to draw up plans for a new RFK stadium.
Why it matters: It's the second stadium study that the Bowser administration has funded this year — meaning, yes, the mayor is serious about a new home for the Washington Commanders.
State of play: D.C. wants the new study to examine how to build a "state-of-the-art stadium" for the Commanders — the nitty gritty details from ticketing sales to naming rights.
- The final product: A concept site plan, including mixed-use housing and commercial development surrounding it.
- The study will also consider what events can take place there so the stadium doesn't sit empty outside of football season.
Between the lines: D.C. awarded the $565,000 contract to SMG Holdings, an affiliate of venue management company ASM Global, as first reported by the Washington Business Journal.
- The deal was signed quietly on June 7.
- It was a sole-source contract, meaning D.C. gave the firm the deal without considering other bids.
- D.C.'s office of deputy mayor for economic development declined to comment to Axios on the study.
Reality check: D.C. needs Congress to pass the RFK bill for a stadium to be built at the site, and there are roadblocks:
- Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen previously expressed caution over the bill potentially tipping the scales in favor of D.C. — over his state — attracting the Commanders.
- Montana Sen. Steve Daines still has his ask, first made back in May: The team needs to honor the old logo or he won't let the bill advance.
Ultimately, a stadium proposal would need approval from the 13-member D.C. Council and there is currently plenty of skepticism about the idea.
The intrigue: D.C. already paid another consulting firm $394,000 for a "sports study" this year. That report found a new stadium at RFK could create 2,095 annual new jobs and $1.26 billion in economic growth, though some experts were skeptical of the rosy projections, the Washington Post reported.
- It raises the question: Why two studies?
- The description of the new study suggests it will dig deeper into the specifics of a new NFL stadium, including venue operations, site design, and financing options.
The latest contract ends on Sept. 30. It's unknown if the report will be made public.