Dive Brief:
- D.C. United has released new renderings depicting the updated design for its new $300 million District stadium, the Washington Business Journal reported. See additional new renderings here.
- Architect Populous and Marshall Moya Design only slightly changed the stadium and adjacent mixed-use building design, but added a two-way private street on one side of the stadium and a plaza area on another.
- The design for the 19,000-seat facility must still gain approval from the D.C. Zoning Commission, which rejected designers' previous efforts. In March, one commissioner called the stadium design "austere," and said it reminded her of a prison.
Dive Insight:
Last month, the team selected Turner Construction to build the stadium and awarded the company a $150 million contract. The District will contribute $150 million for infrastructure, land and site work — which is already underway — and the team will pay for the actual construction. It took a year to reach a financing agreement with the city and was only a done deal after D.C. United agreed to set aside a $5 million escrow to protect the city's interests. The team and the city also agreed to a 50-50 split of any construction overruns up to $20 million.
The stadium, which officials said will be ready for the 2018 Major League Soccer season, should create an estimated 1,000 construction and permanent jobs and contribute $1 billion in economic activity to the surrounding area. Not everyone is happy with the construction, however, and some residents have come out against the project claiming that it could have negative health effects on children and the elderly in the neighborhood.
D.C. United currently plays its home games at the 54-year-old RFK Stadium. District officials have also floated a few ideas for the 190-acre, waterfront RFK property, including a new Redskins stadium or another professional sports facility. The city is even considering demolishing the aging structure in order to make way for an entertainment and sports facility, which could include playing fields, a field house or a water park.
