Washington Commanders President Jason Wright made a few promises Friday about what fans can expect from the next home of the team, and even gave Prince George's County hope of a future at FedEx Field.
In a one-on-one interview with WUSA9, the president of the franchise offered his own insight on the location of the Commanders stadium, as leaders in Northern Virginia, D.C. and Maryland have all been publicly speaking out about where the team's home games should be played.
Wright emphasized that the location and design of the next stadium will not be something created by team management alone, but rather an "economic development project" that must be considered by all three jurisdictions vying for the stadium.
"Whether it's Maryland, D.C. or Virginia, this is first and foremost about what they need to create in terms of economic outcomes for the next 30 years for their citizens," Wright said. "It needs to be aligned with the objectives of community leaders and government leaders."
Wright mentioned four design principles that he said will be considered for any location proposal, in order to safeguard the "legacy of the team": intimacy, authenticity, connection and unity.
Though Wright made it clear the team expects a financial investment in some form where ever it builds a new stadium, as part of a partnership with the jurisdiction hosting the stadium, he said it's not just a matter of going with the highest bidder.
"That's not at all how we're looking at this ... it's such a mischaracterization of the process," Wright argued. "It's not inciting a big bidding war, it's just actually the due diligence of finding one of the few places in the area that can accommodate 100 to 200 acres, true development of the scale that we think is appropriate."
Wright added that the proposals in D.C., Maryland and Virginia can't be looked at as "apples to apples" because the opportunities each region affords are unique.
"The dollar amounts mean something different based on the nature of the site, so it's really about the community telling us what their vision is," Wright said. "It's not about giving Dan money. It's about providing a destination experience for the community."
MORE:
https://www.wusa9.com/article/sports/nfl/washington-commanders/washington-commanders-future-stadium-jason-wright-will-have-dome-not-highest-bidder-situation/65-6913dfa5-9a84-4907-9265-184843c7a152
69 Comments