United have announced that the official groundbreaking ceremony for Audi Field will be held on Monday, Feb. 27, at 3 PM.
“We are extremely excited to break ground on this site, a project that has been 21 years in the making," Jason Levien, United Managing Partner, said. "Since Erick [Thohir] and I assumed stewardship in 2012 we’ve been on a mission to deliver to our fans and this community a new, permanent home. We appreciate all of the hard work that has gone into preparing for this moment and can’t wait to finally put shovels in the ground at the site of our new home, Audi Field.”
The groundbreaking will take place on the eastern edge of the Audi Field property, located on Half Street. The ceremony will include a performance by local DC Scores student-athletes and will be attended by MLS Commissioner Don Garber, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Audi of America President Scott Keogh, Levien and United head coach Ben Olsen, as well as United players, staff and fans.
The announcement comes following the positive outcome of the D.C. Zoning Commission on Thursday night, where the five members officially granted the Black-and-Red final permission to begin vertical construction. United will file for their superstructure permit to start erecting steel structure above grade.
Audi Field will be the home for D.C. United, the most decorated franchise in U.S. soccer history and the most championed professional team in the District of Columbia. Opening in 2018, it will also host a variety of other sporting and cultural events, community activities, and concerts. The state-of-the-art urban facility has a capacity of 20,000 fans and will feature 31 luxury suites, a bike valet, and 500,000 total square feet of mixed-use retail and residential space on site, making it a 365-day destination for fans and D.C. residents alike.
FREE PARKING AND SHUTTLE SERVICE provided by United's official transportation partner, Reston Limo, will be available from Garage C at Nationals Park, located on the corner of N St. SE & First St. SE, adjacent to the Main Box Office. Shuttle service will begin at 1:45 PM. Please RSVP using the form below.
