Tag: Muriel Bowser

Commanders hire Senate aide to help in search for new stadium

Josh Harris makes a big hire to help in search for new stadium.

While the NFL world is focused on next week’s NFL draft, the Washington Commanders continue to make significant hires.

On Monday, Washington hired Dave Gardi away from the league office to serve as the senior vice president of football initiatives. Gardi will handle in-game management duties for the Commanders, supporting the coaching staff and front office on compliance with NFL protocols, officiating trends and health and safety protocols.

On Tuesday, owner Josh Harris made another big hire, bringing in top Senate aide Kirtan Mehta, per Hans Nichols of Axios.

Mehta’s new role will focus on Washington’s search for a new home. The team’s lease for FedEx Field in Landover expires in 2027, the 30th anniversary of the stadium’s opening. It has long been criticized as one of the worst venues in the league. While the team would likely prefer to build its new stadium at the RFK Stadium site in D.C., some hurdles remain.

Here’s why Mehta’s hiring is important, via Nichols:

“But he’s the kind of hire a new NFL owner would make to navigate the politics of moving a team from the Maryland suburbs to a parcel of land that’s currently owned by the federal government.”

D.C., Maryland and Virginia all want the Commanders, and Mehta will be instrumental in Harris finding the best possible deal for the franchise.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has been outspoken about the Commanders returning to D.C. since Harris bought the team from Dan Snyder last year.

Nichols on Mehta:

“Mehta’s first task: Getting House-passed legislation through the Senate that would allow Bowser to negotiate with Harris on a potential package for a stadium on the banks of the Anacostia River.”

Mehta comes to the Commanders after serving as the chief of staff for Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO). He previously worked with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) for five years. Manchin chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Big news for the Commanders’ stadium hopes in D.C.

A good start for the Commanders in their quest to build a new stadium in Washington, D.C, but they still have a long way to go.

Finally, there is some positive news regarding the Washington Commanders concerning the United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

On Wednesday, the Committee approved a bill that would extend the lease of RFK Stadium with the federal government to 99 years. The federal government owns the RFK site, and the current lease ends in 2036.

The Committee, with bipartisan support, voted 31-9 to move the bill forward, where the next step will be a future vote on the House floor later this year. So, while this is a big step forward, there remains a long way to go.

Washington D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser was present and has been a major proponent of bringing the Commanders back to the District, where the team played its home games until FedEx Field opened in 1997. Since Daniel Snyder sold the team, Bowser has been outspoken about creating a mixed-use development in Washington that would create jobs and housing with the Commanders stadium as an anchor.

Bowser faces opposition, who believe taxpayer dollars should not be used to build a professional sports stadium.

Bowser released a statement after the hearing.

Not only does Washington want the Commanders, but so do Virginia and Maryland — where FedEx Field is located. Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin each attended training camp this summer in Ashburn, discussing why the Commanders should build their new stadium in their respective states.

Washington D.C. mayor working to bring the Commanders back home

Competition is heating up for the new Commanders stadium. Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser makes her case on why the franchise should return “home” to the District.

The race for the next stadium of the Washington Commanders is heating up. One week after the team was officially sold from Daniel Snyder to Josh Harris, three different localities are lining up for the chance to do business with the Commanders and build a new stadium.

It’s long been believed that returning to Washington, D.C. is what the Commanders prefer. However, the District was never going into business with Snyder. Maryland wanted to keep the Commanders in Prince George’s County but wasn’t going overboard to help Snyder.

Finally, Virginia looked like the most promising opportunity for a new stadium until that support waned under multiple investigations into Snyder.

With Harris and his ownership group, the Commanders are open for business.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said he spoke with Harris on the night the sale was confirmed, per NBC 4 Washington.

On Thursday, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin visited Commanders training camp in Ashburn and said Virginia was the best place for a new NFL stadium. Youngkin spoke extensively with Harris and two of his minority partners, Mark Ein and Mitchell Rales.

Meanwhile, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was hard at work, doing her best to bring the Commanders back to the District. On Thursday, Bowser held a #SportsCapital Rally with the purpose of retaining and attracting sports teams to D.C.

Also, this week, Rep. James Comer [R-Ky.] introduced bipartisan legislation that would turn the RFK site into a mixed-use development, paving the way for a new home for the Commanders.

“This legislation is set to pave the way for local officials to create meaningful new jobs, add millions in city revenue, and transform the Anacostia River waterfront into a lively destination for all,” Comer told The Washington Post.

Bowser made it clear where she believed the Commanders should build their new stadium.

“There’s really only one place for the team in this region,” she said at the rally. “I mean, I know, I’ve been a little coy, but……. there’s only one choice.”

On Friday, Bowser was a guest on the “Sports Junkies” on 106.7 The Fan and continued to make her pitch.

“This is how we start – we want our team, but we also know we have a great site, and believe we have the best site, best served by transportation and public transportation,” Mayor Bowser told the Junkies per Lou DiPietro. “And, the allure of history is something that counts.”

Bowser said shortly after Harris took over as the owner, he placed a call to Bowser. Then, on Thursday, he, along with Ein, visited City Hall and spoke to Bowser. She noted that while she didn’t know Harris before, she does know Ein well. Bowser noted it was a good visit.

While we may still not be close to determining where the Commanders will build their new stadium, for the first time in years, business has picked up. And Washington’s owners are already working behind the scenes with local leaders to land the best situation for the franchise.

Report: Commanders lobbying federal government to hand control of RFK site to D.C. government

The Commanders under new ownership will have options for a new stadium. But it’s clear the RFK Stadium site is No. 1.

The Washington Commanders will have a new owner soon. After 24 years, Daniel Snyder is expected to sell the NFL franchise to a group led by Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris.

The deal is not complete but has been sent to the NFL and is expected to be approved at some point in the near future.

With that in mind, the Commanders are clearly focused on finding a new home stadium, and the No. 1 contender remains the old RFK Stadium site in Washington, D.C.

Per Sam Fortier, Michael Brice-Saddler and Meagan Flynn of The Washington Post, the Commanders are lobbying the federal government to give the D.C. government control over the RFK Stadium site, paving the way for the city to reach a deal with the NFL franchise to bring them back to the nation’s capital.

In recent months, a group representing the Commanders — led by Dentons lobbyist Matthew Cutts and Commanders Vice President of Public Affairs Joe Maloney — has met with staff for the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, according to a spokesperson for the House committee and a spokesperson for Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), who chairs the Senate committee.

If the sale goes through to Harris, it could prompt a bidding war between D.C., Maryland and Virginia for a potential new home for the Commanders. However, for D.C. to be the choice, it would need control over the land, which the federal government owns and leases to Events DC — the District’s sports and entertainment authority.

As the Post noted, the natural resources committee has jurisdiction over land transfers, which would be critical in Washington’s efforts to gain control of the land. The current lease runs through 2038 and restricts the land’s usage to sports, entertainment and recreation, which would prevent the Commanders from creating the development they’ve envisioned for Maryland and Virginia.

The Commanders would like to resemble The Battery in Atlanta. Not only did the Braves build a new ballpark [Truist Park], but The Battery operates like a mini-city outside of the baseball stadium and is viewed as the future of professional sports stadiums. The Battery features dining, shopping, entertainment and lodging.

D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser has lobbied publicly for the Commanders to return to the city, noting that obstacles remain, which mostly consist of the federal government owning the land.

The Commanders returning to D.C. was not an option if Snyder owned the team. Now with a sale expected, the path is much clearer for the NFL franchise to return home if other issues are resolved.

 

D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser responds to Commanders’ news

Bowser’s response was short and sweet.

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has always wanted the Washington Commanders back in the nation’s capital. One condition for Bowser, Washington would need to change its name.

That happened in 2020 when owner Dan Snyder changed the name from the Redskins to the “Football Team.” That moniker lasted two seasons until the team was rebranded as the Commanders in February 2022.

At that point, Bowser confirmed D.C. was back in business as a possibility for the Commanders’ new stadium. Obviously, there are many factors in play far beyond Bowser to bring the NFL team back home, but she was behind the idea.

On Thursday, another issue for Washington, owner Dan Snyder, appears to be on his way out. Sportico first broke the news that Snyder had agreed to sell the Commanders to Josh Harris for $6 billion.

While nothing is final until the paperwork is submitted to the NFL, it certainly sounds like Harris will be the next owner of the Washington Commanders.

Bowser reacted on Twitter with two words and an iconic Sports Illustrated cover:

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Commanders commemorative shirts” link=”https://breakingt.com/collections/washington-football?rfsn=903880.559be”]

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Washington mayor wants Commanders back in D.C.

Washington, D.C. mayor wants the Commanders back in D.C.

The Washington Football Team got a new name Wednesday. The WFT is now the Washington Commanders. The next step for Washington is continuing its efforts to build a new stadium.

But where?

Virginia appears to be the frontrunner, with either Loudoun County or Prince Williams County landing the new stadium. However, Maryland governor Larry Hogan wants to keep the Commanders in his state.

On Wednesday, shortly after Washington’s rebranding, Washington, D.C Mayor Muriel Bowser stated her case for the team returning to the district.

Washington, of course, enjoyed its greatest success playing in RFK Stadium from 1961-96. The stadium was located in southeast D.C., and Washington won three Super Bowls when it called RFK home.

In the past, Bowser said the team’s controversial former name was a roadblock for a potential new stadium. Now that Washington has a new name, could the nation’s capital bring the Commanders back to their original home?

The good news for the Commanders and the NFL is you have three interested parties therefore finding a new home shouldn’t be too difficult.