Stadium News and Speculation VIII | And Now, Anacostia (Mayor@dc.gov or adrian.fenty@dc.gov)

Time for Stadium News and Speculation VII | [Insert Subtitle Here]

Development at Poplar Point without an anchor would leave Ward 8 out to dry once again. Even if there were no stadium and the development used the amount of retail that Fenty and others have hinted at, Ward 8 residents would not be serviced as they should be. Rather than the office buildings and condos with little retail we have seen in plans like the AWC plan, Poplar Point needs a prominent anchor. Marion Berry realizes this and is right to be upset with Fenty. Ward 8 gains much more from what we have seen from the DCU plan.


jobs, taxable businesses, somewhat random words since I don't feel like typing more, hotels, tourism traffic, daily, events, attention, affordable housing

I want a new thread title

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

My hope is that United's 2 backup plans just need an execution order if Poplar Point falls through. It'd be ideal if we had a definitive answer by MLS Cup. Then United could unveil their plans, whatever they may be, in the days before we win our 5th Cup.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

Could be. RFEIs due October 10. Thirty day decision period. Decision before the Cup on November 18th. Plan A or B should be apparent by then.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

See the directions say "cook and then chill". That's what we do, first we cook and then we chill.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

That site was near the college park metro station. A deal with the university of MD was discussed, but they moved on very early in the process. There is a lot of land near other PG stops, but the county is virtually bankrupt and corrupt, and there will be no political will to bring soccer there. Likewise, I don't think there are any MoCo metro stations that could accomodate a stadium.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

Fenty doesn't see shelling out $200 million for "infrastructure" for a stadium as private financing. Other than environmental work, which the Feds would likely pick up since they own the land, RFK doesn't require the infrastructure Poplar Pt does. If the entire development - stadium, parking, and infrastructure (DCU includes parking in infrastructure) - were privately financed at Poplar Pt, the stadium would be finished by now.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

Yes, RFK wouldn't require the infrastructure Poplar Point would. Neither would Federal Triangle, the Foggy Bottom blocks the State Department occupies, or the current location of the Pentagon. However, since the Feds own the land RFK is on and do not plan to give it up; and since another act of Congress would be required to change that; and since the Feds have other publicized plans for that land . . .

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

DC's lease on the RFK land is for stadium use - and a new SSS stadium would allow it to continue - I just don't think the surrounding development would be possible.

I guess another question is this - if MacFarlane is worth billions of dollars, does he really need the surrounding development to pay for the stadium?

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

Well, no, he doesn't need it. But it is clear that the potential for surrounding development was part of the reason to purchase United in the first place. I wonder if that gamble isn't paying off and if it doesn't, how interested the current ownership really is in owning a soccer team without a home.

There I've said it. I was all sweetness and light for a while, but now, I'm worried.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

The lease expires when RFK is torn down; even if DC wanted to replace RFK with a new stadium, they'd have to negotiate a new lease. Since the Feds have other plans for the land, DC'd have a tough time doing so.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

But we had to go all the way, baby...
...All the way *home*...

[youtube]3XhS80rwjIg[/youtube]

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

Well, build the new stadium first, then tear down RFK ... tah, dah!

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

My understanding is that the lease isn't stadium specific, but is rather use specific - thus it was considered for a whole host of venues for the Olympic bid a few years back.

Of course it wouldn't be the first or the last time I've been wrong.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

I don't think this is entirely correct - the lease is in place as long as there is a sports use on the site. The Fed plans are for a park, currently unfunded. I think DC has long assumed that if the Feds are presented with a plan for environmental cleanup and development of a "public" use (such as a park or Danny-boy stadium) the Feds will be more than happy to rid themselves of the property.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

They have other plans too: NCPC study

Also, Congress has repeatedly threatened to put a postal service mail sorting facility on the site.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

I bet the d'bags would name it after Reagan like everything else
At least the local police would be used to people "going postal"

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

Just for the record, a lot of us United fans do live in and pay property and income taxes to the District, and right now, we wouldn't piss on Fenty if he were on fire.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

I would... once the fire was out

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

The only plans from the Feds I've seen are the National Capital Planning Commission plans, which b1968k linked to a few posts up. The planning as well as the publicization and comment periods have been well-funded, with well-publicized meetings in the neighborhood. That doesn't make them a reality, of course; after all, there've been meetings in Ward 8 about DCU's plans. But it's their land to begin with, so that suggests these are more likely to actually occur.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

I meant to say that the NCPC plans are unfunded, not that the planning process was unfunded. And the NCPC plans call for significant park/public/memorial type space. The development aspects are unlikely to be funded now given current condo/finance markets, but we're still years away from anything happening so that's probably not as much of a problem.

The Feds have been outspoken in wanting to rid themselves of surplus property - that was the whole reason for the massive land transfer that includes Poplar Point (and reservation 13 at RFK). I believe, and I think the city believes on most levels, that if offered the opportunity, the Feds would be happy to allow the city to take RFK and the surrounding sites off their hands if they come up with a future plan. The council obviously thinks this is the case, otherwise they would have never even started speaking with Snyder about the site for a new skins stadium.

I don't mean to sound like it would be easy or would happen anytime soon, it's just a possible scenario that shouldn't be dismissed out of hand because the NCPC put together a study that doesn't indicate that route. Planners plan, and sometimes those visions work and sometimes they get AWC'd.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

Another possibility that I haven't seen mentioned yet... a very troubling possibility... The "developer" with his hand in Fenty's pocket is Dan Snyder himself. Perhaps after seeing what MacFarlane and United had planned for Poplar Point, Danny-boy thought "Hmm... that'd be a great site for the Danny Dome."

Very troubling indeed.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

There is not enough space there for the Danny-Dome


... but I wouldn't 100% discount it being an incentive for him to develop there and build/share (with the DC gov't) a dome on the RFK site. I don't think it's true, just wouldn't be able to discount it

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

There's plenty of room there for the Danny-dome, and parking, but nothing else.

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

With DC United moving into the vast concrete amphitheater that is FedEx Field?

 

Re: Wash. Post - Stadium comment...

Too narrow for REAL soccer. And sadly, too big for DC United.