The D.C. Zoning Commission gave final approval to a new D.C. United stadium tonight, as work on the newly named Audi Field will give the MLS squad a replacement for RFK Stadium.
It’s the culmination of a decade-plus effort to procure a new stadium, an effort that saw ownership look throughout the regional for development partners. In the end, the team ended up coming up with a deal with the District of Columbia, with the District paying $150 million for land and infrastructure work and the team $200 million for the 20,000-capacity stadium, which will feature 31 luxury suites, a bike valet, and 500,000 total square feet of mixed-use retail and residential space on site. It will be located at a 14-acre site in Buzzard Point, three blocks from Nationals Park.
The approval for Audi Field was expected and was unanimous.
In related news, D.C. United ownership announced the groundbreaking for Audi Field is now set for Monday, Feb. 27, at 3 p.m.
“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.”
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