The Washington Commanders have obtained rights to buy more than 200 acres near Woodbridge in Prince William County for a new...
The Washington Commanders have obtained rights to buy more than 200 acres near Woodbridge in Prince William County for a new stadium and related amenities, according to multiple media reports Monday.
ESPN first broke the news, calling the deal a "possible next step in building a new stadium."
The network, quoting a source, said the $100 million deal for land near Interstate 95 was completed last week. The report was later confirmed by other media outlets, including the Associated Press and the Richmond Times-Dispatch, although state Sen. Scott Surovell, D-29th, clarified to the Washington Post it's his understanding the team has simply obtained options to buy the property.
The team has been considering three potential sites for a new stadium: in Sterling near Dulles International Airport, the Woodbridge site off Telegraph and Summit School roads and a site near I-95 and within the Potomac Shores development.
InsideNoVa obtained a copy of renderings and site plans the team has prepared for the site. They show the 60,000-seat stadium alongside Interstate 95, along with a retail area, office space, a practice facility and team headquarters, a hotel and conference center and other amenities. Team and state officials have put a $3 billion price tag on the entire project.
The ESPN report did not make it clear whether the team purchased land near Woodbridge or Dumfries, but JP Finlay, a Commanders' reporter for NBC, tweeted that sources told him the land is the Woodbridge property. The Times-Dispatch reported that the purchase is for the Woodbridge property as well.
The two Prince William County sites reportedly under consideration for a new stadium for the Washington Commanders NFL team are in the Potomac Shores development and on undeveloped land near Telegraph and Summit School roads (pictured here) in Woodbridge. Summit School Road will eventually be extended to the commuter parking lots shown in the lower part of the photo. The aerial photos were taken last summer.
Officials of the NFL team, currently based in Ashburn, have been meeting with state legislators and local officials since late last year. The Commanders’ lease at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., ends in 2027. The stadium was built in 1997.
The purchased land is the team's preferred site for a new stadium, ESPN reported, but other options remain open. The site plan obtained by InsideNoVa showed the amenities also on the site in the Sterling area of Loudoun County; the Washington Business Journal reported that the owners of that property, a proposed development called Waterside, have declined to sell to the team.
In the media reports, sources emphasized the final location has not been selected and other sites remain under consideration.
The renderings obtained by InsideNoVa show a futuristic stadium that can change colors, a translucent roof that would allow natural light while climate-controlled, and a new team headquarters. Plans developed by the team also would include an amphitheater that could seat from 15,000 to 20,000 guests, a mile-long walkway with restaurants, bars and stores, and large yard near the stadium of artificial grass that could transform from a public space during the week to a parking lot on game days.