Pro soccer stadium may come to county

Maryland, Prince George’s officials mull a new home for D.C. United

Local leaders said they have reservations about the proposals, which started to take shape last fall after Prince George’s officials asked the state’s stadium authority for help to attract the team.

The Major League Soccer team has been in talks with District leaders about a new stadium in the city, but by several accounts those negotiations have yielded little progress in recent months.

County officials said they would like to see a stadium built at either the Greenbelt or New Carrollton Metrorail stations to serve as a centerpiece for development.

‘‘We are the last county in the region to really develop around our Metro stations,” said David Byrd, the county’s deputy chief administrative officer. ‘‘[A stadium] can be a great anchor for mixed-use development at Metro stations. ... When the game is over, there will be lots of things for people to do when they leave the stadium.”

‘‘We think either option would be excellent for the county,” he said.

Prince George’s County Executive Jack B. Johnson sent a letter to the stadium authority in November saying he had met with team officials and discussed the possibility of moving the franchise to Prince George’s, which also is home to FedEx Field, the Washington Redskins’ stadium.

Byrd said he sent a letter to Major League Soccer President Don Garber last month asking for his support in bringing the team to Prince George’s but has not received a response.

A D.C. United spokesman said the team would not comment on a move to Maryland.

In addition to a capacity of 27,000 to 31,000 spectators, preliminary stadium plans call for 33,000 square feet of private suites and 10,500 square feet of party decks, according to stadium authority documents.

D.C. United, which has won four of the MLS’s 12 championships, has played at RFK Stadium in Washington since 1996.

In 1997, Prince George’s officials lured the Washington Redskins to Landover, where they have played at the 91,000-seat stadium for the last decade. The county received more than $10 million in admission and property taxes from FedEx Field in fiscal 2006, well over the $6 million in taxes the stadium was originally projected to bring to Prince George’s.

College Park City Councilwoman Mary Cook (Dist. 4) said she did not think it would be possible for the city to host a sports franchise.

‘‘I would have great concern about the traffic, noise, pollution and crime — the same things we worry about on a daily basis and this would just increase it,” Cook said. ‘‘Is it a good thing? It could be if done correctly.”

City Councilman Jonathan Molinatto (Dist. 1) said he was in favor of the proposal as it would be a great boon for businesses as well as the surrounding communities.

‘‘It would make the area more popular. I’ve been to RFK a few times for games, and it definitely has a strong following,” he said. ‘‘Given economic feasibility I would be for it.”

Molinatto said he was concerned about the increased traffic such a stadium would bring, ‘‘ especially if there was a D.C. United game and a Terps football or basketball game [at the same time].”

New Carrollton Mayor Pro Tem Dave Anderson said he only recently learned about the possibility of a stadium in Prince George’s, and it is too early to tell what will happen.

Anderson said whatever happens, it is unlikely to be within New Carrollton city limits because there is not enough land to support such a project.

‘‘The potential for bringing new business would be good but on the other hand it may bring traffic problems,” Anderson said. ‘‘But I don’t know the specific locations that they’re thinking about. I’m not sure if it would be on the New Carrollton side of the Metro station or the Landover side of the Metro station. It’s hard to say at this point what the impact would be for the city.”

Greenbelt Mayor Pro Tem Rodney Roberts, upon hearing Greenbelt was considered as a possible site, said he did not take the news seriously and offered little support for a soccer stadium near the Greenbelt Metro station.

‘‘Personally I don’ t think there’s enough room there for a stadium,” Roberts said. ‘‘I think that’s crazy. If you’re talking about having revenue, there’s a lot better things to put there besides a stadium.”

State Sen. James C. Rosapepe said he does not hear a lot of people demanding a [soccer stadium] in the county.

‘‘It would depend on who pays for it, traffic congestion ...,” said Rosapepe (D-Dist. 21) of College Park, an admitted soccer fan. ‘‘If a private company wants to build a soccer stadium in a place that won’t create worse traffic then there could be a chance for it.

Staff Writers Janel H. Davis, Natalie McGill and Jeffrey K. Lyles contributed to this report. Davis reported from Annapolis.E-mail Dennis Carter at dcarter@gazette.net.