WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — In a move that could reshape the future of football in the nation’s capital, D.C. has quietly enlisted a powerhouse venue firm to explore the possibility of bringing the Commanders back to their "spiritual home" at RFK.
The D.C. government has hired an LA based venue and management company "to study the feasibility of redeveloping the RFK site, and undertake an effort to relocate the Washington Commanders to the stadium site." The study will include how the District can help pay for it.
The $565,000 contract is with ASM Global, which describes itself as “the world's leading venue management company and producer of live event experiences, ASM Global is the preeminent management and content partner with over 400 venues worldwide.” According to the contract with the District, ASM’s portfolio includes 7 NFL Stadiums, “more than any single management firm.”
D.C. moved quickly and quietly to hire ASM in June using what’s known as a “sole source procurement” which means the project was not put out for general bids. In the paperwork, DMPED justified the “emergency sole source based upon the requirements related to Federal RFK legislation that will be signed into law in the near future. The decision to engage with ASM Global is based on their deep knowledge about stadium planning and financing as well as their ability to begin work on this study immediately.”
Legislation giving D.C. long term control of the federally owned RFK site passed easily in the House of Representatives, but has stalled in the Senate. In July, WUSA9 reported the team was making progress removing one potential roadblock to final passage, but others remain, including opposition from Maryland senators over concerns about what would happen to the Fed Ex site should the team leave. Loudoun County, Virginia also remains in the mix as a potential future home to the team.
Many Commanders fans and owner Josh Harris refer to RFK as the “spiritual home” of the team.
Among the many challenges the District faces in luring the team back to D.C. is how the city would pay, or help pay, for a new stadium. A cost break down of the contract includes $53,500 to have ASM examine stadium funding options. Specifically, ASM has been asked to “assist in developing overall negotiations strategy to include financial and operating considerations, timing and public relations.”
WUSA9 has previously reported D.C. government is on pace to be more than $1.7 billion dollars in debt by 2030, which includes more than half a billion dollars it agreed to give Monumental Sports and Entertainment owner Ted Leonsis for renovations at Capital One Arena.
This is the second RFK stadium related study D.C. has paid for in a year.
In June, the District released part of a sports economic impact study that cost D.C. taxpayers almost $400,000. That study was more wide ranging, and focused on a rosy economic picture of the financial impact professional sports have on D.C.
But Mayor Muriel Bowser refused to release a portion of that study, which examined ways the District could help pay for a new Washington Commanders Stadium, saying she didn’t want to reveal the “playbook for our competitors” for the new Commanders stadium.
A source within D.C. government told WUSA9 the ASM study is different, and possibly more significant, because it is a much more comprehensive analysis of the RFK site specifically and supports the Districts' efforts to attract the Commanders back to DC. Representatives from D.C. government and the Commanders declined comment.