This browser does not support the Video element.
Proposed 302-foot Sphere would become National Harbor's tallest venue
A newly filed planning document reveals details for a 6,000-seat entertainment venue in Prince George's County that will stand nearly as tall as the Washington Monument. The 14-acre project will include pedestrian plazas and dedicated parking, though its height is currently subject to a non-binding FAA review due to its proximity to Reagan National Airport.
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - New details have emerged regarding a proposed 302-foot "Sphere" entertainment venue in Maryland's National Harbor, which is set to become the tallest structure in the area.
According to planning documents filed with Prince George's County, the 6,000-seat facility will sit directly north of National Harbor in the current event parking lot.
What we know:
The entire project, including the venue and its parking lots, will span 14 acres. To accommodate visitors, an additional parking lot is slated for nearby Oxon Hill Road, and the preliminary layout features adjacent pedestrian plazas and a dedicated ride share drop-off zone.
At 302 feet off the ground, the venue will tower over local landmarks, standing just a couple of hundred feet shorter than the Washington Monument and significantly taller than National Harbor's iconic 180-foot Ferris wheel. While it will dominate the local skyline, it will be smaller than the 18,000-seat, 336-foot-tall Sphere in Las Vegas.
What they're saying:
Because the site sits roughly five miles from Reagan National Airport, the project has drawn attention from federal aviation officials.
"Under federal law, developers must give the FAA the opportunity to evaluate proposed structures near airports to determine whether they could pose a hazard to aircraft or interfere with navigation aids," the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement. "If the FAA determines the structure height would be a presumed hazard, we try to negotiate a lower height with the developer."
However, the FAA’s ultimate determination functions as a recommendation and is not legally binding on the developers.
The preliminary plans, first reported by the Washington Business Journal, provide the first concrete look at how pedestrians and traffic will flow through the major entertainment space.
The Source: This information is from FOX5 DC reporting.