Maryland is option for United

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot met with the owners of D.C. United yesterday about the possibility of relocating the team outside the District and has asked the Maryland Stadium Authority to assist the team in its efforts to build a soccer-specific facility.

Franchot said the team could boost the state’s tax base, create new jobs and increase tourism. The move to lure D.C. United to Maryland comes after the recent collapse of talks between the team and D.C. officials over the construction of a new stadium at Poplar Point in Southeast.

“As we have learned from past experiences — including Oriole Park at Camden Yards and even the Verizon Center in the District of Columbia — professional sports venues can be a dependable catalyst for economic development that is compatible with Smart Growth principles,” Franchot wrote to MSA chairman Frederick W. Puddester. “The construction of the facility itself, along with the surrounding infrastructure, would create good-paying jobs at family-supporting wages.”

Franchot reiterated the contents of the letter to team owner Victor MacFarlane and president Kevin Payne yesterday.

“D.C. United is most appreciative of the interest expressed by Comptroller Franchot,” the team said in a statement. “Certainly, there are many thousands of passionate D.C. United fans in Maryland. We, of course, agree that having a D.C. United stadium would be beneficial to any jurisdiction in which it is located. We welcome conversations with any governmental agency in the area, including specifically the Maryland Stadium Authority, that can be helpful to D.C. United in getting a stadium built.”

Stadium authority officials did not return a call requesting comment.

Earlier this year, D.C. United proposed constructing a 27,000-seat stadium as part of a larger mixed-used development and received strong support from D.C. Council member Marion Barry, Ward 8 Democrat. Under the plan, the team was to pay for the stadium and the city would contribute to infrastructure, but negotiations between the city and team broke down over the city’s contribution to the project.

The city said this summer it would accept competing bids for the redevelopment of the area. United said earlier this month it would not enter the competitive process and would begin looking outside the District for stadium sites.

“In the wake of these developments, I would strongly urge the Maryland Stadium Authority to meet with representatives from … United to learn more about its proposal and explore potential opportunities to bring this great franchise to the State of Maryland,” Franchot wrote. “If an ideal site could be found and a development agreement reached with the franchise, this project could yield enormous benefits for our State.”

At this point, it does not appear talks between United and the state of Maryland have moved beyond the introductory phase. The team is said to be entertaining offers in other suburban locations, including Loudoun County, and also would consider a move to a new site in the District.

D.C. United, which plays at RFK Stadium, has insisted it must move into a new, soccer-specific stadium in order to achieve profitability. Since 1999, six Major League Soccer franchises have moved into new facilities, with two more expected to do the same next year.

A move of a D.C. team to the Maryland suburbs would not be unprecedented. The Washington Redskins moved to Landover in 1997 after the team couldn’t reach a deal for a new stadium in the District. The Wizards and Capitals also both played in Maryland before moving into Verizon Center.