The D.C. Council has approved the District of Columbia Soccer Stadium Act of 2014 in its second and final vote, approving the development of the new 20,000-25,000-seat stadium for D.C. United in the Buzzard Point neighborhood of Southwest Washington. The legislation’s passage targets the opening of the stadium in 2017 and ensures that D.C. United will make the District of Columbia its home for generations to come.
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“We are grateful that D.C. United’s future in our nation’s capital is secure,” said D.C. United Managing General Partner Jason Levien. “This is a historic victory for the team and its fans, the city, the region and the sport of soccer in this country. I am deeply appreciative of the efforts of many city leaders, including Mayor Vincent C. Gray, Mayor-Elect Muriel Bowser, City Administrator Allen Y. Lew and the D.C. Council.”
The approval of the new stadium bill is the culmination of more than a decade of efforts, including most recently two-and-a-half years of work by D.C. United and District of Columbia leadership. Moments after announcing its investment in the team in July 2012, the team’s ownership first met with the Mayor about securing a new stadium. In July 2013, they announced a signed term sheet, and an agreement was transmitted to the D.C. Council in May 2014. The stadium bill received unanimous approval by four D.C. Council committees and in its first reading by the full Council on Dec. 2.
The Buzzard Point stadium will provide a major boost for economic development in the District. D.C. United soon announce the completion of a Community Benefits Agreement that will serve as the foundation for a lasting relationship between the team and the immediate community in which the stadium will be built.
About D.C. United
D.C. United is the most successful professional soccer organization in the history of the United States. United is four-time MLS Cup Champions (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004) and winners of the 1996, 2008 and 2013 U.S. Open Cup, the 1998 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the 1998 Interamerican Cup and the 1997, 1999, 2006 and 2007 MLS Supporters Shield.
