After Nationals, Washington prepares to work on another stadium

[wufc]

http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2006/05/01/daily39.html

A new Redskins stadium that is...

[greatscott]

RFK Stadium's two tenants -- the Nationals, whose new stadium got under way this week, and D.C. United -- are leaving, and the vacated site could be the perfect space to build a new stadium.


hmmmm

[StillerFan]

FedEx is only 9 years old, I don't see the Redskins leaving it.

....D.C. United -- are leaving

A hint?? ;)

[Shark]

the RFK site is perfect for development along the new/revamped waterfront that is coming to this area. The adjacent "Reservation #13" or DC Hospital/Jail complex is starting the first stages of redevelopment. At a metro stop. Talk of a football stadium is just stupid........just trying to "stir it up" for some pub.....

side note: I await the biggest and longest tailgate ever at RFK the day they implode that big beast. I will morn it's passing, and then take up with the new hottie (poplar point/DC United stadium complex).

Anyone else?

[beltwayrob]

The article itself doesn't actually bother me, simply because nothing is going to happen to RFK until both United and the Nats are out of RFK. And true, with Fed Ex being only 9 years old, I don't think Snyder is in any rush to rid himself of his parking cash-cow. It wouldn't make any sense at all, but I can definitely see the land being "set aside" for future entertainment purposes. You know, in another 5-6 years when FedEx is rendered obsolete by NFL standards.

[Jegao Paraiba]

You gotta love the spokesman.
"Why would you sit down with a mayor who's about to leave office?" says team spokesman Karl Swanson. "We are not meeting with anybody. I don't know why we would."
I would have thought that Dan "You owe me a dollar every time you say the word 'Redskins'" Snyder would have at least had a meeting to see how much money he could shake out of the politicians in an election year.

Failing that, I would have thought his spokesman would have more tact.

Anyway... The WBJ didn't express any doubt about the fact that DCU will be leaving RFK. Hopefully that's good news.

[Lowecifer]

Did people see this story (http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/othercities/baltimore/stories/2006/04/10/focus2.html) last month? It's one of the links in the story being discussed in this thread.

[Jegao Paraiba]

Did people see this story (http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/othercities/baltimore/stories/2006/04/10/focus2.html) last month? It's one of the links in the story being discussed in this thread.
Why no, Lowecifer, I had not seen that article.
Very interesting.

A couple of highlights...

Payne: We have a television contract for 2007 that will pay us rights fees for the first time.
The value of this statement is difficult to overestimate.

Payne: We think we are very close, actually, to having that team put together, and I would expect there would be conversations with [team owner Anschutz Entertainment] within the next few weeks about an exclusive negotiating period and hopefully moving expeditiously toward an agreement.
Also very good news!

[NicktheGreek]

Bring back the race track in the RFK parking lot. Big success story there.

[Th4119]

Anyway... The WBJ didn't express any doubt about the fact that DCU will be leaving RFK. Hopefully that's good news.

It only says leaving RFK. It doesn't rule out the possibility that means leaving for San Jose...

[BBBulldog]

It only says leaving RFK. It doesn't rule out the possibility that means leaving for San Jose...

or Cleveland... Cleveland United!

[mayorofarlington]

i had heard a rumor months ago that the redskins, given their rabid fan interst and long season ticket lines, were toying with the idea of an even bigger stadium (over 100k for sure)...but i dunno if there's enough room at RFK for that plus the infrastructure, and the costs would be massive...this is just RFK stadium people freaking out at the prospect of having no tenants.

[Jegao Paraiba]

It only says leaving RFK. It doesn't rule out the possibility that means leaving for San Jose...
or Cleveland... Cleveland United!
http://www.nnex.net/~awyoung/Blasphemer!5x3.jpg

[Footer Phooter]

Don't the Redskins OWN FedEx field? If so, they're not going anywhere.

[CHICO13]

Don't the Redskins OWN FedEx field? If so, they're not going anywhere.
If they own it doesn't that mean they can sell it?

[URwormfood]

When does the naming rights on "Jack Kent Cooke's Stadium" expire??

:confused:

~worm~

[roadkit]

When does the naming rights on "Jack Kent Cooke's Stadium" expire??

:confused:

~worm~

When his detached, cryogenically frozen head is revived and he gives permission.

:D

[Eismahn]

Let's see if I can sum up the proper amount of skepticism needed on what else would transpire should the Redskins decide to ditch Fedex and go with a bigger home at the RFK site.

The day you see 395 extended East across the Annacostia(as it undoubtedly should have been from it's inception) to intersect with 295-both Southbound and Northbound-and possibly beyond, THEN it MIGHT happen.

Otherwise, topic is nothing more than a 3 card monty coming at ya.

[NicktheGreek]

i had heard a rumor months ago that the redskins, given their rabid fan interst and long season ticket lines, were toying with the idea of an even bigger stadium (over 100k for sure)...but i dunno if there's enough room at RFK for that plus the infrastructure, and the costs would be massive...this is just RFK stadium people freaking out at the prospect of having no tenants.
Isn't that a problem United would LOVE to be burdened with? They (Skinz) could build a 100k seat stadium in Indian Head, Point Lookout, or the moon and they'd still sell out every seat. Cooke proved and later Snyder reaffirmed beyond a doubt that they don't need a DC zipcode, and never will again.
Face it, having Redskins tix lifts you out of the common masses and into a class alone, there's just no way United season tixs have the same allure. United's plan is to create ticket demand by declaring 24,000 at RFK a sell-out, (how many sellouts have they had) and planning on a small "intimate" stadium of even fewer seats. The new SSS regardless of location, should bring a boost in attendance, and will help with the balance sheet unless it is horribly managed, marketed and very importantly, policed (not a remote possibility). But in the end I think that regardless of where it is built, the attendance for MLS events will stay under 20k/game for the next 10 years. Hopefully decade 3 will put the real quality on the field, both in players and refs, that US soccer needs.

[Th4119]

i had heard a rumor months ago that the redskins, given their rabid fan interst and long season ticket lines, were toying with the idea of an even bigger stadium (over 100k for sure)...but i dunno if there's enough room at RFK for that plus the infrastructure, and the costs would be massive...this is just RFK stadium people freaking out at the prospect of having no tenants.

Considering how they've gotten worse and basically alienated the hard core fans that used to populate their games when they went to the behemoth that is FedEx, I would love to see them do it again.