In recent years, D.C. taxpayers have committed $515 million to renovate the Capital One Arena and more than $1 billion to help build a new stadium for the Washington Commanders, as well as agreeing to putting the proceeds from a business tax to finance a $400 million renovation of Nationals Park — itself built with taxpayer dollars.
But is a request for hundreds of millions of dollars to add 8,000 seats and a new roof to D.C. United’s Audi Field — constructed in part with public funds just over a decade ago — one ask too many? Or is it a justifiable investment in a venue that hosts a global sport and growing roster of teams?
That question is now percolating through the Wilson Building, as D.C. lawmakers debate the extent of their continued investment in sports facilities in a city that markets itself as the “Sports Capital” but is facing uncertain economic times.
In July, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson quietly introduced legislation that would commit $300 million in public funding — split up over five years — to the expansion of Audi Field, with D.C. United kicking in $320 million of its own. The money would go towards additional seating, a roof and more than 400 units of housing on an empty parcel of land adjacent to the stadium.
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Reactions to the proposal have broken down along the usual lines: Proponents say it would bring more people to Audi Field for more events and generate economic activity for the surrounding Buzzard Point area, while critics argue that the claims of economic benefits are overstated and that D.C. shouldn’t be committing any more public money to stadiums and arenas — especially as lawmakers face the prospect of cutting programs and services.
But the bill has also scrambled the usual politics around putting public dollars into professional sports facilities. Mendelson — often a skeptic of the practice — is the main proponent, while Mayor Muriel Bowser, who negotiated public funding deals for the Capitals, Wizards and Commanders, has spoken out against it.
The Washington Spirit are also an unexpected X factor: The popular women’s team is unhappy with their current lease with D.C. United, and want to use the bill as leverage to negotiate a deal that makes them more of a partner than a renter of the space.
“I’m of two minds about the proposal,” said Ward 6 council member Charles Allen, who represents the neighborhood where Audi Field is located, during a daylong hearing Friday. “On one hand, when I view this proposal as a District resident and taxpayer, I feel uneasy, especially since this is coming on the heels of the RFK Campus redevelopment. On the other hand … I see the amount of economic activity the stadium is able to generate by hosting D.C. United and Washington Spirit games.”
The potential of the latter is what proponents are putting forth to ease concerns over the former.
“Nearly two decades ago, Nationals Park became the catalyst and center of gravity for the Navy Yard. The ballpark drew people, and the grocery stores, restaurants, parks and services residents now rely on, followed. Audi Field can play that role for Buzzard Point,” said Emeka Moneme, president of the Navy Yard Business Improvement District. “On match days, foot traffic in Buzzard Point runs 12 to 14 times that of a typical non-event day. Seven shops and restaurants now operate in Buzzard Point, and when the stadium is dark, they feel it.”
D.C. United officials say adding a roof and more seats — capacity is currently 19,200, and it would increase to around 28,000 — would dramatically increase the number of games and events Audi Field could hold.
It would also facilitate Major League Soccer’s move to a new schedule in early 2028 — aimed at better aligning with European leagues — but also expand opportunities for concerts, festivals and other teams at the stadium, including the Washington Spirit and the D.C. Flight, a brand new professional women’s volleyball team. (D.C. Power FC, another women’s soccer team, also plays at Audi Field, as do the D.C. Defenders, a United Football League team.)
“When we look at the roof project, it’s not just comparing it to the soccer landscape. We’re looking at the broader mission of becoming a sports capital, to serve our clients and bring in more events as we become more of a year-round facility,” said Danita Johnson, D.C. United’s president of business operations.
But Shira Markoff, the director of economic policy for the liberal D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, argued that while a bigger and roofed Audi Field may be able to host more events, that’s not reason enough for public funds to be used on the upgrades.
“Economic research shows that sports stadiums are not significant drivers of local economic growth,” she said.
One marquee critic of the proposed deal for the soccer stadium was Nina Albert, D.C.’s deputy mayor for planning and economic development. She defended the city’s investments in the Capital One Arena, Nationals Park and the new Commanders stadium, but argued that Audi Field isn’t old enough to merit the public outlay — for now.
“We must be clear-eyed about what investments are necessary, when the best time is for making those investments, and what we need to know before committing more than $300 million in public funds,” she said. “A $300 million investment merits study, I don’t think that’s unreasonable.”
Albert added that one of Bowser’s principal concerns is that whatever events a larger Audi Field could attract — primarily concerts — would “cannibalize” Capital One Arena, though proponents of the deal countered that there’s enough demand to satisfy what both venues could offer artists.
Ultimately, the path to a deal for D.C. United and Audi Field may have to pass through the Spirit, which has played at the stadium since 2023 and is in the process of renegotiating its lease.
Though team CEO Kim Stone told lawmakers that the Spirit are “neutral” on the bill, in recent weeks they made clear that they want to use any possible legislation as leverage to negotiate better terms, including distinct signage, their own locker room, and certainty that the women’s team won’t get short-shrifted during what would likely be a two-year construction period that could displace home games.
“We believe in the value of Audi Field, but the details need to be refined in order to make sure we have enforceable protections that are good for everyone,” Stone said.
The Spirit’s quiet lobbying seems to have paid dividends. “It’s very hard for us to be supportive if you’re not able to bring the Spirit on-side,” Ward 3 council member Matt Frumin told D.C. United officials at the hearing. “I am in principle supportive of this, but that is going to be a prerequisite.”
What happens next — and when — remains up in the air. D.C. United CEO Jason Levien said that with the MLS schedule change set to take effect in January 2028 and negotiations ongoing with the Spirit, he’d like lawmakers to move as quickly as possible to give some certainty after what he says was years of lobbying for the project.
“I’m really worried that if we don’t have it done by December, I wouldn’t say all hope is lost, because I don’t like to lose hope, but I think I worry about how we keep the Spirit, how we keep the other tenants happy, and how we prepare Audi Field for the change in the calendar,” he said.
In a statement to The Sun, the Spirit said while a new lease is a “top priority,” the team is “committed” to staying in D.C.
D.C. United has already started sweetening the pot for lawmakers, announcing it has already agreed in principle to work with labor unions on construction of the expanded stadium and neighboring housing project. These project labor agreements have often been points of contention in other D.C. stadium deals.
Still, Levien’s hopeful timeline might be faster than some lawmakers are ready to accept.
“It sounds like we need to do a lot more studying,” said At-Large council member Elissa Silverman. “It sounds like we’re a little premature in moving forward until we understand the impacts financially and on infrastructure.”
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