Redskins, D.C. working with Congress to slip stadium provision into spending bill

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Sun Dec 9, 2018, 04:44 PM - Edit history (1)

Hat tip, Joe.My.God:

NFL Owner And GOP Reps Work To Slip Stadium Deal Into Spending Bill Before Democrats Take Over House
December 8, 2018

PowerPost
Redskins, D.C. working with Congress to slip stadium provision into spending bill

By Liz Clarke and Mike DeBonis
December 7

Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder is getting help from District officials, congressional Republicans and the Trump administration as he tries to clear a major roadblock to building a new, 60,000-seat stadium on the site of RFK Stadium.

Nearly three years after the Redskins unveiled futuristic designs for their next football stadium, the team has been working in concert with local and federal officials to insert a stadium provision into the massive spending bill that the Republican-controlled Congress is rushing to complete this month, according to four people familiar with the effort but not authorized to discuss it publicly.

The provision could pave the way for the NFL stadium and other commercial development on the 190-acre site that was the setting of the team’s greatest triumphs. By tucking it into a complex spending bill, the team and local officials could sidestep some public debate over whether other uses for the coveted parcel of land would benefit a broader swath of D.C. residents.

The provision’s passage would not guarantee the stadium would be built at the RFK site, and the District government would retain control of the property. But it could give fresh momentum to the D.C. plan before officials in Maryland or Virginia have an opportunity to make a meaningful play for the project. ... The effort comes as Snyder and government officials fear that the coming change in House control from Republicans to Democrats could complicate future attempts to secure the RFK site, according to multiple local and federal officials familiar with the discussions.
....

Liz Clarke is on her second stint covering the Washington Redskins for The Washington Post (1998-2001; 2014 onward). Before joining The Post in 1998, she was a sportswriter at USA Today, the Dallas Morning News and the Charlotte Observer. She started her career as a news reporter for the Raleigh News & Observer, covering higher education. Follow https://twitter.com/lizclarketweet

Mike DeBonis covers Congress, with a focus on the House, for The Washington Post. He previously covered D.C. politics and government from 2007 to 2015. Follow https://twitter.com/mikedebonis

Redskins working to get language for new stadium into year-end spending bill: report

BY OWEN DAUGHERTY - 12/07/18 11:05 PM EST
....

Snyder has been working for years to secure the land currently owned by the city. Under the provision, the land would still be owned by D.C., but it would help clear the way for Snyder’s new stadium.

According to unnamed officials who spoke with the Post, the language attempting to be included in the spending bill would extend the existing lease for the land it is on and make the site open to commercial development.

The current lease states that it can only be used for “stadium purposes” or “recreational facilities, open space, or public outdoor recreation opportunities.”

According to sources who spoke with the Post, Snyder is worried that when Democrats take control of the House next year his chances of getting a stadium on public land could diminish.
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[jmowreader]

1. Killing this in its tracks would be easy-peasy

Work a clause into the language of the bill that the facility would be "Barack Obama Stadium."

[hotrod0808]

2. Why does this asshole

need a new stadium? FedEx Field is only 20 years old.