RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia lawmakers are continuing to consider a pair of bills that would tackle the financing of a new professional football stadium in the Commonwealth.
On Monday, the Virginia House of Delegate Appropriations Committee approved, by a vote of 14 to 7, HB 1353.
The bill, sponsored by Del. Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, would create a governing group charged with financing the construction of a new professional football stadium in Virginia. The football stadium authority would also work to finance the construction of the restaurants, retail, parking garages and hotels around the football facility.
"Essentially, we're going to have a large campus out there,” Knight said. “It's not just going to be a stadium. It's going to be everything I just mentioned. It's going to be a town center or, like a mini-city area."
The House version of the bill would also allow the stadium authority to issue bonds with a maximum maturity of 20 years to help finance the project. Knight said the authority would be entitled to sales tax revenue from transactions happening at the stadium and surrounding facilities to pay off any debt.
"This bill, at the end of the day, this is still a work in progress,” he said. “But, at the end of the day, we're not going to have it where this is a drain on dollars and services."
Washington Commanders representatives talked with Virginia lawmakers in December about possibly moving to the commonwealth in December.
Sen. Jeremy McPike, D – Prince William County, told WUSA9 he spoke with Commanders Owner Daniel Snyder about the team’s interest in possibly relocating to Loudoun or Prince William Counties.
Tray Adams spoke on behalf of the Washington Commanders at Monday’s committee meeting. Adams is also listed on the website of McGuireWoods Consulting as the director of its Virginia government relations team.
He said the team has no plans to take over any existing properties wherever it could possibly choose to locate in Virginia.
"There is no intention to use eminent domain to acquire real property to operate the facility," he said.
Del. Mark Sickles, D – Fairfax County, voted no on the bill. He said he wants to see more of what the Washington Commanders could possibly offer to the state.
“My 'no vote' on this would not mean that I would not look at a more comprehensive package to see how much the owner is actually putting in himself in this whole town center,” he said.
On Wednesday, the Virginia Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee will also consider another bill to create a football stadium authority.
SB 727, which is sponsored by Sen. Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax County, differs from the House legislation in that it would allow the stadium authority to issue bonds with a maximum maturity date of 40 years. It would grant the stadium authority the ability to receive corporate tax revenues.
Knight said if both bills make it through the Virginia House and Senate, they will likely be subject to compromise in a conference committee.
"We're not going to do anything unless it's good for the Commonwealth of Virginia first and foremost,” he said.
Stadium authorities have been set up elsewhere in the region.
Maryland has created the “Maryland Stadium Authority" to acquire the land that Orioles Park at Camden Yards was built on near Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
Both D.C. and Maryland leaders have expressed interest in having the team play in their settings in the future. In January, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said he would like to see the team stay in his state.
"Our team has been working together, Prince George's County, state officials, working together with representatives of the team," he said.
The WFT's lease at FedEx Field in Landover ends in 2027.