10/11/07: The Washington Post - MacFarlane Speaks

D.C. United bossman Victor MacFarlane and Prez Kevin Payne stopped by The Post this afternoon for an on-the-record chat with reporters, editors and a Metro section columnist. The meeting was arranged weeks ago, but in the wake of their letter to the city about the club's plans to look elsewhere in pursuit of a stadium project, the timing could not have been better.

Lots of interesting comments. Lots of frustration with Fenty and the city. You could almost see the steam coming from MacFarlane's ears.

There will be a comprehensive Metro section news story in Friday's print editions (available on washingtonpost.com late tonight), but for now......

WP: Is there still a chance you could end up with a stadium at Poplar Point?

MacFarlane: We still have a developer who has said they want to include a soccer stadium. We have told them what our minimum requirements are and we'll see.

WP: Where else are you looking to build a stadium?

VM: We have engaged with a consultant to find all the sites that are appropriate for a soccer stadium in and outside the District.

WP: How disappointing is it for you to reach this point?

VM: Oh, it's extremely disappointing. I am still hopeful we will be in the District. We will see. I am less optimistic about Poplar Point. I am sure one or two [alternate sites in the District] will show up.

WP: The RFK grounds?

VM: They may be. We don't know yet. We just left the deputy mayor's office [today] talking about, hoping that, there will be alternative sites.

WP: Do you feel like the Fenty administration betrayed you?

VM: It doesn't even matter anymore. I'll just leave it as I am disappointed. ... We spent millions of dollars; we don't have a history of being foolish, but maybe that's what we proved to be this time. ... As the owner of the soccer team, we need to know that the land that they offer us -- if it's not going to be Poplar Point, if there is going to be another alternative site -- that it's a site that we can have. Not maybe we can have after a process. As a business person, it makes no sense. If the city really wants us here, they have to tell us: 'Yes, this site is available to you, let's see if it works.' If there is not a site that is for certain available to us, then we need to find one that is.

jump below for more.....

WP: What did you discuss with city officials today?

VM: We talked about how we would like an alternative site in the District, that we would like a new lease at RFK and one extended beyond this year. They said they are supportive.

WP: Kevin, a few years ago, United talked to the Maryland Stadium Authority about a possible project. Have you gone back to them in the wake of your issues with the District?

KP: We've engaged an agency that is going to explore opportunities elsewhere. I believe the Maryland Stadium Authority is probably going to have some level of interest.

VM: We hope.

WP: Given all the stadium obstacles, do you regret buying the team?

VM: No. I just regret starting the process for Poplar Point. I enjoy the team very much, except for the frustrating part of creating the stadium. It's been a fabulous endeavor. ... The stadium, quite honestly, has been a distraction.

WP: Without a new stadium, this team will continue to lose money, true?

VM: Absolutely. A lot of money.

KP: We're going to get a stadium.

VM: The sooner the better.

WP: Would you consider building far outside the city, like FC Dallas did?

VM: We made our name in urban communities, making a difference in urban communities. ... We're not going in some rural area to do it.

KP: Our name is D.C. United.

WP: Is this back and forth between you and the city part of a ploy to get them to say they made a mistake and they really do want you?

VM: We would love for them to say they want us. At the end of the day, I hope they do want us, if not at Poplar Point, then somewhere. But at some point, they do have to say they want us. ... If you don't want us, just tell me. I won't quibble. We will have a stadium somewhere. Just tell me.

WP: Is it possible you could leave the area all together?

VM: No way.

WP: Some believe the next big stadium in the city will be for the Redskins. Would that impede your project?

VM: I don't see us being in competition at all.

WP: But completely hypothetically, if the RFK site is used for the Redskins, you would need another site.

VM: That makes the assumption that you can't fit both. If there is enough land, we would just have to make a decision that we are okay with building.

WP: Are you worried that the city will knock down RFK before you have a new stadium, forcing you to find a temporary home like FedEx Field?

VM: I have asked that question and I have been assured that is not going to happen. (pause) It could, I guess.

WP: Where did you leave it with the city after your meeting today?

VM: They are willing to work with our consultant and they said they will try to provide some alternate sites.

More details in Friday print editions and on washingtonpost.com......

By Steve Goff | October 11, 2007; 4:27 PM ET

7/21/07: The Washington Post - Talks Fall Apart On Stadium for D.C. Soccer Team

By David Nakamura

Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 21, 2007; Page A01

Negotiations to build a soccer stadium for D.C. United in Southeast Washington have collapsed, leading District officials to pursue other options for the site and team officials to threaten to move the franchise out of the city, government sources said yesterday.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's administration had been negotiating for months with D.C. United's principal investor, real estate magnate Victor A. MacFarlane, over the team's proposal to build a 27,000-seat stadium in Ward 8, just across the Anacostia River from the Washington Nationals' new ballpark.
But the negotiations stalled over the financial terms. Although United offered to pay for the $150 million stadium, it asked for about $200 million in city subsidies, including roads, tax incentives and the right to develop additional land, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were private.

Administration officials have decided to look at other options for the site, which is part of a 110-acre piece of federal land known as Poplar Point that is scheduled to be transferred to the District in the fall. The city will seek proposals from interested developers over the next two months, the sources said, with the focus on housing and retail. A soccer stadium still could be part of the mix but is not a top priority, the sources said.

Verizon Center, the downtown indoor sports arena, has been credited with playing a key role in the revitalization of its neighborhood; the economic impact of soccer stadiums appears less understood. D.C. United's attendance has averaged about 17,000 a game over the years.

During the negotiations, D.C. United officials suggested they would consider moving to Maryland or Virginia, possibly the Baltimore or Loudoun County areas, if the District was unable to help build a new stadium, the sources said. United plays at 46-year-old RFK Stadium and had hoped to have a new facility by 2009 or 2010.

"We're keeping our options open," said Julie Chase, a spokeswoman for MacFarlane. "We need a new stadium somewhere in the D.C. area. I can't put parameters on that."

Fenty's spokeswoman, Carrie Brooks, said in a statement last night: "Poplar Point represents a once in a lifetime development opportunity for the District of Columbia. A competitive process for the disposition of this land could provide the District with great ideas on how best to meet city objectives that include workforce development, affordable housing, great parkland, and sustainable development."

D.C. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), who championed the publicly funded $611 million baseball stadium, said of United: "It would be very unfortunate if they left the city. The stadium was a good idea, but the question was always who would pay for it. . . . I can understand their frustration, because they were led to believe the city very much was trying to make this happen."

Evans said another option that had been discussed is construction of a soccer stadium next to RFK, which would then be torn down.

Administration officials consider Poplar Point to be a unique development opportunity: a massive waterfront property in the city's poorest ward. But deciding what to do with the land has been the subject of much discussion.

Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) has supported the stadium, but residents have been divided. Some agreed that the stadium would help bring new investors and opportunity; others voiced concern that it would not include affordable housing and jobs for residents.

Then-Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) backed the stadium, but Fenty had been noncommittal. MacFarlane, a wealthy San Francisco real estate investor, bought United in January and pledged to work with Ward 8 to build a mixed-use development.

MacFarlane pledged to build a youth athletic field in Ward 8 and has attended numerous community meetings. He and other team officials are scheduled to attend D.C. United Family Fun Day tomorrow at Ketcham Elementary School on 15th Street SE, an event that was billed as a way to "publicly share the club's vision for a stadium at Poplar Point."
United President Kevin Payne declined to comment through a spokesman.

The team is the most successful franchise in Major League Soccer history, having won four league titles in 11 seasons.

Since 1999, MLS teams in Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto and Columbus, Ohio, have moved into new medium-sized facilities. The New York and Salt Lake City clubs have also broken ground on new facilities.

"We have put forth a very expansive plan that obviously addresses the needs of the soccer team and the soccer fans," Chase said. "We have also been addressing the needs and wants in Ward 8, where people are interested in improved community opportunities, retail and jobs."

Staff writers Steven Goff and Martin Weil contributed to this report.

12/22/06: The Washington Post - Soccer Stadium by 2009? City and D.C. United Differ

Team Keeps Hope Despite Hurdles in Area's Redevelopment

A stadium is planned for Poplar Point, but the Anacostia Waterfront Corp. has yet to hire a master planner to create a redevelopment plan for the area. (By Bill O'leary -- The Washington Post)

By David Nakamura and Steven Goff

Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, December 22, 2006; Page B04

D.C. United officials remain hopeful that a 27,000-seat soccer stadium can be built at Poplar Point along the Anacostia River by 2009, but District officials say significant challenges remain that could delay the project.

Although city planners have not ruled out opening a stadium in 2009, they said the project is behind schedule because of complications related to the transfer of 100 acres of federal land -- which includes the stadium site -- to the city.

Once the District gets title to the land, it must pay to clear the site of contamination and to relocate National Park Service facilities, officials said.

Even then, the Anacostia Waterfront Corp., which has been designated by the city to oversee development along the river, has said it will hire a master developer to create an integrated plan with housing and office and retail space before moving forward with a soccer stadium.

"It's challenging," said Stephen Goldsmith, the corporation's chairman. "The soccer guys think they can move quickly, but we're not where they expect us to be today."

For the past 2 1/2 years, as District leaders have been focused on the political fight to finance and build a baseball stadium near the Navy Yard and South Capitol Street SE, the soccer stadium project has taken a back seat.

But with the Washington Nationals set to move out of 45-year-old Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium by April 2008, the soccer project has taken on increasing urgency. The D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission is trying to figure out RFK's future and hopes that United will find a new home.

"If a new soccer stadium is not ready for '09, we can keep RFK open for that year," said Mark H. Tuohey, the commission's chairman. "If you're talking an additional two years, we'd have to look carefully at that."

District leaders view Poplar Point, in Ward 8 across the Anacostia River from the baseball stadium site, as a critical plot whose development will help revitalize the long-neglected riverfront, just as the ballpark is expected to do on the Ward 6 side.

Officials consider the area, with sweeping river views, ideal for housing development. But so far, the Anacostia Waterfront Corp. has not settled on what else to build at Poplar Point.

This month, the corporation unveiled two plans. Both showed office, retail and residential development clustered in three areas: near Good Hope Road SE to the east, W Street SE in the middle and Howard Road SE farther west. One of the plans included a soccer stadium, showing the field in place of the development near W Street, with a 4,000-space parking garage and a 500-room conference center and hotel.

Unlike the baseball stadium, which is being funded with $611 million in public money, the city has not pledged any funding for the soccer stadium, which is projected to cost roughly $150 million.

Goldsmith's staff is considering two options to pay for a stadium. Under one scenario, United would finance the project and be awarded control of the surrounding development. Under the other, the city would keep control of the development and use tax money generated from the site to pay for the stadium. Either option would amount to public financing, because the city would be giving up assets that could otherwise pay for other city services.

The Anacostia Waterfront Corp. has scheduled a public hearing for Jan. 20.

Mayor-elect Adrian M. Fenty (D) has expressed general support for the redevelopment of Poplar Point, but he has not said how he expects the project to be financed. As the Ward 4 D.C. Council member, Fenty was a chief opponent of public funding of the baseball stadium.

Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) first opposed the soccer stadium, but he now supports the project.

United could remain at RFK, but team officials balk at the prospect of playing in the cavernous 45,000-seat building. New, medium-sized stadiums have become a trend in Major League Soccer as a way to create a more intimate environment and, in turn, increase attendance.

United, which is in the process of being sold to an ownership group that has said it would build the stadium, has been working on designs with HKS Inc., an architecture firm based in Dallas.

Team President Kevin Payne reiterated recently that he expects the stadium to be ready by 2009.

"It's not going to be an easy task," Payne said. "There are a lot of things that have to be done. These things always take longer than you think they are going to. . . . But it can be done, and we're not willing to concede that it's not possible to open it by 2009."