Both houses of the Virginia General Assembly have cleared the path for the Washington Commanders to continue with their plans to build a $3 billion domed stadium complex in Northern Virginia.
The House of Delegates passed a bill on Monday that would create a football stadium authority overseeing the financing and construction of the venue and massive retail and entertainment complex in the area.
On Tuesday, the Senate passed a separate but similar bill, calling it a “huge economic development project.” It says it wouldn’t require any financial assistance from the state of Virginia.
If both bills are passed by the opposite chambers, the General Assembly would create a conference committee to negotiate.
- If it becomes law, the authority would be authorized to sell bonds for a stadium around $1 billion. The team would need to pay an additional $2 billion to complete a bigger project.
- The Senate proposed the bonds to be paid over 30 years, with the House’s proposal recommending 20.
The team’s contract at FedEx Field ends in 2027.
Investigation Implications
The move to Virginia has received some criticism after an investigation into the team’s owner, Dan Snyder, over allegations of inappropriate behavior. Following a 10-month workplace misconduct investigation, the team was fined $10 million.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk recently reported that “there is a sense among ownership that the time has come for Dan Snyder to move on.”
