For the primary time shortly, there are good vibes surrounding the Washington Commanders. Proprietor Daniel Snyder has agreed in precept to promote the franchise to a bunch led by Josh Harris, which additionally contains Mitchell Rales and Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
Snyder has owned the group since 1999, presiding over controversy and controversy, and a whole lot of dangerous soccer.
When Snyder employed Bruce Allen in December 2009, the pair had been imagined to land a brand new stadium ultimately. Nevertheless, it by no means occurred. Washington, D.C. didn’t need the group again, Maryland was high quality with the Commanders remaining at FedEx Area and Virginia shut down the group’s hopes for a brand new stadium.
With Snyder promoting the franchise, all the things is again on the desk, notably in Washington, the place the franchise performed its residence video games on the legendary RFK Stadium for over 30 years.
On Tuesday, D.C. native and Ward 5 councilman Kenyon McDuffie stated he needs the group “again residence.”
“I feel now we have a once-in-a-generation alternative with the RFK web site to re-imagine it,” he stated, per WUSA 9 in Washington.
McDuffie believes a stadium may revitalize the world by including housing, retail and live performance venues.
“I don’t suppose it must be only a soccer stadium there,” McDuffie stated. “I feel it needs to be a broader dialog.”
Nevertheless, a few of McDuffie’s fellow council members didn’t share his enthusiasm.
“I’m not going to get cross-ways with a colleague,” stated Chairman Phil Mendelson. “However I’ll say this – the RFK web site is bounded on one aspect by the Anacostia River, on different sides by park land, and on the fourth aspect by residential. It isn’t the opportune web site for financial improvement.”
The RFK Stadium web site is owned by the federal authorities and was solely leased to D.C. to be used as a stadium.
Whereas issues don’t seem imminent, the outlook is rather more optimistic than it was one 12 months in the past for the NFL franchise to return to Washington.