DC United gets go-ahead to build football stadium

Washington

DC UNITED on Thursday received final approval to build a soccer stadium in the District, ending more than a dozen years of frustration to replace RFK Stadium as its home and creating an economic pathway to help the team catch up to the rest of a fast-growing pro league.

Two months after giving conditional support, the five-member DC Zoning Commission was unanimous in approving the 5.7-hectare project at Buzzard Point in Southwest, adjacent to Fort McNair and three blocks from Nationals Park, at the confluence of the Anacostia River and Washington Channel. The city had previously agreed to cover US$150 million in land acquisition and infrastructure costs. United will spend up to US$200 million on the 20,000-capacity venue, which club officials aim to open in the summer of 2018.