DC May Use Eminent Domain to Seal Stadium Deal
“Mayor Vincent Gray is expected to formally propose a bill Friday that would outline plans for a new stadium in D.C. The $300 million deal would provide a new home for the District’s Major League Soccer team, D.C. United, committing $150 million of the city’s funds for infrastructure and land.
It may also leave eminent domain on the table as a means for acquiring the property that it needs.
Gray and City Administrator Allen Lew indicated that they were leaving the option on the table, NBC4 reports. As The Washington Post noted on Monday, Lew had previously said that he would avoid using eminent domain, even if negotiations to acquire the necessary parcels failed.
The news isn’t likely to please landowners at the Buzzard Point site where the new stadium would be built – namely, the scrap metal yard Super Salvage and Mark Ein, the owner of Washington Kastles. As of Monday, they had reportedly not yet reached agreements with the city.
The D.C. Council will also have to be convinced for the deal to go through. Members and mayoral candidates Muriel Bowser and David Catania have already expressed skepticism, and adding eminent domain to the mix has the potential to complicate matters.”
Warmoth, Brian. In THe Capital 23 May 2014.