Council Chairman Phil Mendelson announces the scheduling of a public roundtable of the Committee of Whole on “Bill 20-805, District of Columbia Soccer Stadium Development Act of 2014.” The roundtable will be held Thursday, November 13, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.
The purpose of this roundtable is to receive public testimony on Bill 20-805. The stated purpose of Bill 20-805 is to approve the exchange agreement for the proposed stadium site and the Reeves Center, to authorize the Mayor to assemble the soccer stadium site in Southwest, to approve the ground lease for the site with the DC United soccer team, to approve the development agreement for the construction of a new soccer stadium, to authorize various actions including street and alley closings, environmental remediation, and certain expenditures of funds, to authorize an underground or airspace lease, and to amend the law to provide various tax abatements, including phased property and sales tax abatements. A hearing was held on Bill 20-805 on June 26, 2014. On November 5, 2014, the Council’s consultants—Conventions, Sports and Leisure International, Integra Realty Resources, and The Robert Bobb Group— presented their findings regarding the costs and benefits of the legislation along with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer and the Executive. The roundtable scheduled for November 13, 2014 will provide an opportunity for members of the public to comment on the proposal in light of the consultants’’ report, a copy of which is available on the Council website.
Those who wish to testify are asked to telephone the Committee of the Whole, at (202) 724-8196, or e-mail Jessica Jacobs, Legislative Counsel, at jjacobs@dccouncil.us and provide their name, address, telephone number, and organizational affiliation, if any, by noon on Wednesday, November 12, 2014. Persons wishing to testify are encouraged, but not required, to submit 15 copies of written testimony. If submitted by noon on November 12, 2014, the testimony will be distributed to Councilmembers before the roundtable. Witnesses should limit their testimony to five minutes; less time will be allowed if there are a large number of witnesses. A copy of Bill 20-805, as well as the Council consultants’ report and other transaction documents, can be obtained through the Legislative Services Division of the Secretary of the Council’s office or at http://lims.dccouncil.us/.
If you are unable to testify at the roundtable, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record. Copies of written statements should be submitted to the Committee of the Whole, Council of the District of Columbia, Suite 410 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20004. The record will close at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 27, 2014.
