DC economic office launching 'Sports Study' as push to bring Commanders in continues
WASHINGTON - The D.C. Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development announced Tuesday that they have selected a team to begin studying how the District could plan, coordinate and support more sports both professional and recreational.
The study will be led by Jones Lang LaSalle Americas Inc. — a national real estate advisory company, and the Robert Bobb Group — a DC-based minority-owned consulting firm.
The announcement comes just a couple of months after Mayor Muriel Bowser said the government was putting out a request for bids from outside firms to look into how to retain and improve the situation for D.C.’s current teams, but also to attract new ones — like the Washington Commanders.
"That’s going to help us think of things that we haven’t thought of before and things that will work for our city, so that’s why we’re doing this, we’re serious about it," D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said when she announced that her office was commissioning the study back in August.
Bowser has been fairly vocal about her desire to bring the NFL back to the District, saying she thinks the Commanders belong — like the name says — in Washington.
But for that to happen, the D.C. government needs long-term control over the land on which RFK Stadium sits. Right now, the federal government owns the land but there is serious momentum in Congress to change that.
House committee votes to transfer control of RFK Stadium to DC
Washington D.C.'s gaining big yardage in its drive to get control of the land at RFK Stadium site. Following two days of testimony, a house panel voted to approve a bill letting D.C. take the lead on a redevelopment at RFK, which might include a new Washington Commanders stadium. FOX 5's Tom Fitzgerald reports from The Hill.
As lawmakers consider giving D.C. the right to redevelop the land, the DMPED study is also working to "identify potential financing models for District investments in new and existing sports facilities" and look into "the impact of potential relocations of existing major sports teams into the District."
The efforts spell out a clear goal for D.C. leaders.
"DC is a proud sports town that values our professional teams and the critical role they play in the District’s vibrancy," said Acting Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert. "The Sports Study will continue our work to support DC’s sports teams and further understand their contribution to our city’s economic and cultural landscape."
Throughout the study, the team will determine what the current needs are in terms of space and financing, and what the potential economic and community impact of any future sports investments would be.