WASHINGTON — For the first time, lawmakers in D.C. will consider a deal for a 20,000-seat soccer stadium at Buzzard Point, according to The Washington Post.
The plan calls for D.C. government to provide a maximum of $150 million of the project’s $300 million price tag.
Mayor Vincent Gray’s administration is sending the D.C. Council a legislative package this week, The Post reports.
It is a big step forward for supporters who announced the plan nearly a full year ago, although they still face political obstacles.
Under the proposal, D.C. would take part in a controversial land swap, trading the Reeves Center on U Street to a developer for a section of the stadium site near Nationals Park. The developer, Akridge, would likely turn the government building into condos or apartment units.
The District would also provide D.C. United a number of property and sales tax breaks.
If approved, the new stadium could be constructed and open as early as 2017.
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