Revenue from the proposed Sphere entertainment venue at National Harbor in Maryland would far exceed that generated from the Washington Commanders and Six Flags combined, according to the Prince George’s County executive.
Sphere Entertainment Co. is working with Maryland, Prince George’s County and Peterson Companies to bring a smaller Sphere next to the MGM complex. The proposed venue would be the second of its kind in the U.S., after the Las Vegas Sphere opened in 2023.
County Executive Aisha Braveboy said the smaller Sphere, with about 6,000 seats, could be built and fully operational in four years, providing an economic boost to the county after the departures of the Commanders and Six Flags.
Meeting with reporters Monday after the announcement Sunday night, Braveboy told WTOP Sphere chose the National Harbor site over several municipalities that were seeking to attract the project.
“My team did an amazing job of putting together a deal that protected the people of Prince George’s County, but also incentivized a major company to move such an iconic venue here to Prince George’s County,” she said. “Let’s just say our neighbors were in the mix, and other states across the country.”
Along with private investment, the plan would use tax incremental financing, Braveboy said, diverting future tax revenues from the venture to help subsidize the development of the $200 million project. Exact financial terms of the deal, which is still pending several approvals, are not yet available.
The project would create 2,500 construction jobs and 4,750 jobs once the venue opens, which could happen as soon as 2030, according to Braveboy.
“That’s really exciting for people who are looking for work,” she said.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Braveboy say the total economic impact of the project will be $1 billion annually for the state.
“Maryland has a long history of providing world-class entertainment and we could not be more excited to work with Sphere Entertainment to bring this cutting-edge project to life,” Gov. Wes Moore said in a release.
That’s welcome news for the county, which has experienced some economic challenges of late.
Thousands of high-paying federal jobs have been lost because of President Donald Trump and his administration’s stated efforts to slash government spending. The county and Maryland are now in an extended battle with the Trump administration over its decision to keep the FBI headquarters in D.C., even though Congress appropriated funds toward an approved project in Greenbelt.
That’s not to mention the loss of the Washington Commanders, who are moving back to D.C. in 2030 with a new stadium, and the shuttering of Six Flags in Bowie last year.
Braveboy said this project won’t just compensate for those losses.
“The amount of revenues that we will generate from the Sphere will really dwarf what we currently receive from the Commanders and Six Flags combined,” she said. “The estimates that we’re looking at yearly will more than triple what we’re currently getting.”
The proposed venue is still being negotiated and awaiting approvals from Sphere, Prince George’s County and the state of Maryland.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.
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