Scoop: D.C. United makes labor deal for Audi Field expansion
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Audi Field opened in 2018 with 20,000 seats. Photo: Greg Fiume/Getty Images
To drum up support for its Audi Field expansion, D.C. United has struck an early agreement with local construction unions, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The project just got labor backing. The harder sell: getting D.C. to pitch in $300 million after recent big-ticket sports investments.
The big picture: The club and local unions have agreed to develop a project labor agreement, which would set terms around worker pay, benefits and hiring.
- Such deals are often used on large construction projects and could strengthen the club's case.
- D.C. United's $620 million plan would add 8,000 more seats and a new roof, allowing Audi Field to host more concerts and new sporting events.
- The project would also redevelop an adjacent parcel into retail and housing, including some affordable units.
Reality check: It's a tough moment for another big sports ask, given the city's weakening economy and recent investments into the Commanders' new stadium and Capital One Arena's modernization.
- Mayor Muriel Bowser opposes putting taxpayer money toward the eight-year-old venue, worrying it'll compete with Cap One.
- But the labor alliance could strengthen the club's hand with Janeese Lewis George — likely the next mayor — who only supported the RFK Stadium deal after a crucial project labor agreement was hammered out.
What's next: The D.C. Council will hold a hearing on the proposal on Oct. 23.
- "We're very supportive," says Greg Akerman, president of the Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades, which finalized the agreement on Sept. 14, according to a copy obtained by Axios.
Zoom out: Why does D.C. United want a bigger home?
- MLS is shifting its calendar deeper into winter, which United says makes a roof imperative.
- More seats could accommodate larger crowds for Washington Spirit and DC Power FC matches, while the DC Defenders also call Audi home.
- United also sees opportunities to draw volleyball, motorsports, wrestling and other competitions that use venues such as the Convention Center, club president Danita Johnson told Axios.
Between the lines: Concerts are a big piece of the pitch, as some artists skip D.C. for Baltimore due to scheduling constraints at existing venues, including Cap One.
- "Between 2022 and 2024, 28 tours averaging 10,000 to 30,000 tickets a show played this region and never played Washington," according to a study commissioned by United and shared first with Axios.
- The study estimates a roofed Audi Field could host 64 additional events a year, bringing its total to 114.