Commanders Purchase 200 Acres In Prince William For Preferred Stadium Site: ESPN Report

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — The Washington Commanders have spent $100 million to purchase 200 acres in Prince William County, according to a report from ESPN's John Keim. The land is the franchise's preferred site for a new stadium and team facility, a source told Keim.

Though the land purchase was completed last week, the sale has not been filed with the Prince William County government, according to the report. The site is located near the Potomac Mills mall, the Richmond Times-Dispatch said.

The football team, which will play its first season as the Washington Commanders in 2022, has played its home games at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, since 1997. The franchise owns FedEx Field and the surrounding property, but the contract to play at the site expires in 2026, ESPN reported.

In February, a report from WUSA9 noted that team officials were considering three sites in Virginia for the new stadium. The three sites under consideration were located in Woodbridge, Dumfries, and Sterling.

Read more: Commanders Consider Stadium Sites In Woodbridge, Sterling

The report from ESPN on Monday said the Commanders want to build a 60,000-seat domed stadium, a practice facility, a 15,000-seat amphitheater, retail shops, apartments, and a small indoor music venue. The team may purchase an additional 65 to 70 acres at the site to accommodate the development plans, according to the ESPN report.

The franchise has not committed to building a new stadium yet. ESPN reported that Commanders officials are waiting to see how much money the state and Prince William County would commit before finalizing plans for the new stadium.

Virginia lawmakers have been preparing to welcome the Washington Commanders since February, when the Virginia General Assembly proposed a bill to establish a statewide football stadium authority.

The bill to approve the authority, which is still being considered, would allow the state to sell up to $1 billion in bonds to support a new football stadium.

Some local officials have opposed public funding for a new stadium, though.

"Super-rich sports team owners like Dan Snyder do not need federal support to build their stadiums, and taxpayers should not be forced to fund them," Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) said in a news release. "Billionaire owners who need cash can borrow from the market like any other business. Arguments that stadiums boost job creation have been repeatedly discredited."

Read more: Washington Football Would Lose Tax Break Under House Bill

Politicians in D.C. and Maryland are also interested in hosting a stadium for the Washington Commanders. After the franchise finalized its name change this month, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser urged the franchise to return to the city.

"Every major sports franchise in the region calls D.C. home," Bowser said in a news release. "The next chapter for the Washington Commanders should be a return to winning, right here in D.C."
Some Maryland lawmakers have said they are not interested in financing a stadium, but they would invest in the surrounding area.

"We aren't building anyone a stadium," Del. Jazz Lewis (D-Prince George's) told The Washington Post. "But we can build in and around the neighborhood."

Read more: Maryland, Virginia Leaders Compete To Be Commanders' Home Turf

Maryland's proposal to keep the team in the state would require the Commanders to borrow a sizable lump of money to publicly finance development around the FedEx Field site, according to the Washington Post. The Maryland Stadium Authority would be responsible for selling the hundreds of millions of dollars in bonds needed to finance the state portion of the deal.

The incentive package would include perks from Prince George's County government but does not include the construction of a stadium.