DC United is currently stuck in an aging, cavernous facility with no immediate plans to improve. In fact, they and the New England Revolution are the only two MLS teams with neither a suitable stadium nor plans to build one. So it should come as no surprise that DC United is at least humoring Baltimore, which recently released a soccer stadium feasibility study.
Baltimore’s Effort To Lure DC United Takes A Step Forward
“We appreciate the diligence with which the Maryland Stadium Authority studied the economic impact of a D.C. United Stadium in Baltimore,” United president Kevin Payne said in a statement. “The MSA and its staff are all stars. We’re not surprised at the finding that our stadium will drive tens of millions of dollars in new spending each year, attract hundreds of thousands of fans annually, help create hundreds of new jobs and generate millions of dollars of new State and Local tax revenues. We appreciate the interest that Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and the City of Baltimore have shown in our team and potential stadium, and will continue our conversations as we work toward the best possible long-term home for D.C. United.”
Considering the relative lack of progress to find a stadium in the District, this could be seen as bad news for those who don’t feel like driving an extra 40 miles north. Black and Red United’s Martin Shatzer isn’t particularly worried, though.
All Payne is doing at this point is acknowledging that the study is complete, and listing the key points that would benefit Baltimore, or any other jurisdiction for that matter.
Shatzer believes DC’s economy is on its way back, something backed up by Market Watch, which recently ranked DC as the Best City for Business. DC benefited from having lots of governmental spending which has helped keep unemployment from getting out of control, but also was able to lure several large companies. As Shatzer points out, “United may have just waited out the recession.”
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