Virginia lawmakers on a House of Delegates committee advanced a bill Monday that aims to lure the newly-renamed Washington Commanders to the commonwealth.
The legislation, which passed on a bipartisan 14-7 vote in the House Appropriations Committee, would establish a Virginia Football Stadium Authority charged with financing a new stadium.
- More Virginia General Assembly News
- More Virginia News
- More Washington Commanders News
- More NFL News
“Essentially, we’re going to have a large campus,” said Republican Del. Barry Knight of Virginia Beach, who introduced the bill saying it would include not only a stadium, but also “restaurants, retail, lodging establishments and parking garages.”
The authority would have nine members selected by the governor, and would be subject to confirmation by the Virginia General Assembly.
It would “hire independent contractors, enter contracts, acquire property, borrow money and exercise other similar powers,” according to the bill, which now heads to the full House for consideration.
“This bill is going to allow the authority to issue bonds with a maximum maturity date of 20 years to help finance the construction and development,” said Knight. “It entitles the authority to sales tax revenues from transactions occurring at the stadium and its surrounding facilities to pay down this debt.”
Democratic Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax County, voted against the bill, saying he wants more information about how much money team owner Dan Snyder would potentially put toward such a project.
“My ‘no’ vote on this does not mean that I would not look at a more comprehensive package to see how much the owner is actually putting in himself,” Sickles said.
The House bill is one of two seeking to create a stadium authority.
An identical bill in Virginia’s Senate has been referred to the Committee on Finance and Appropriations.
While the Commanders practice in Ashburn, Virginia, the team has played its games at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, since 1997.
The team’s lease in Landover ends in 2027, and political leaders in Maryland, Virginia and the District have all indicated that they’re interested in building the team’s next stadium.
“Every major sports franchise in the region calls D.C. home,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement. “The next chapter for the Washington Commanders should be a return to winning, right here in D.C.”
