Loudoun, Redskins make deal

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement Tuesday declaring the county the “Corporate Home of the Washington Redskins” and said it supported the idea of a Redskins Hall of Fame in the county.

The board voted 5-3 to pay $250,000 over two years for the marketing partnership, which would be designed to leverage the Redskins’ presence in the Virginia county to promote business and tourism. The county earns the right to use the Redskins logo on its Web site and promotional materials, while Loudoun County would be referenced on the team’s Web site and communications with fans and business partners.

The Redskins’ practice facilities and offices are located in Ashburn. Each year, thousands of fans attend training camp there.

“The Redskins are an important part of this community’s fabric,” board vice chairwoman Susan Klimek Buckley said. “This leverages an important community asset.”

Money for the partnership would come from existing taxes on hotels, campgrounds and rented guest rooms.

A vote on the marketing partnership came following recommendations from an ad hoc committee formed to study the Redskins’ proposal. The group was formed after supervisors originally rejected the proposal but were deluged with letters and calls from members of the business community urging them to reconsider.

Supervisors voted 9-2 in favor of the Hall of Fame proposal. The resolution does not specify who would pay for the Hall of Fame but instead calls for the county to encourage private investment. Although most board members said they would not support the use of public funds to build the facility, they rejected a proposed amendment that would have specifically prohibited it.

Fairfax County approved a similar proposal in December.