Home Sweet Home: New Contender Enters the Stadium Conversation
They say 'home is where the heart is', but for an NFL team, home may be where the dome is. And where the Washington Commanders' new domed stadium (according to blueprints for a Virginia complex) just got a little more complicated.
We knew Maryland wasn't going to sit by and watch the Commanders leave before the end of the decade to relocate all of their operations in Virginia, and they've officially entered the fray.
The same reporter, WUSA9's Eric Flack, who reported the discovery of three proposed sits in Virginia for a new 'Commanders Complex' type structure, is now reporting Maryland has also worked with the organization on an idea for a stadium complex in the state the team currently plays their home games in.
"The concept would not be to just give the current FedEx Field," Flack reported. "The concept is to build a brand new stadium but put it closer to Morgan Blvd. metro station."
This new stadium idea is part of a bigger plan to not only provide professional teams in the state with new and updated stadiums (including the Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Ravens) but also provide an economic boost to an area in need within the state of Maryland.
The location of Morgan Blvd. is important because there would be public transportation available from within Maryland and from Virginia to within reasonable walking distance to the stadium.
Even better, it fits within the 'Blue Line Corridor Redevelopment Plan'.
"Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks has been working really hard to redevelop and reimagine, economically, that blue line corridor," Flack said. "They want to start attracting businesses, nightlife, entertainment, retail, out to that area. Not just for the people of Prince George's County, but really to make it a regional destination."
Flack also mentioned the desire of head coach Ron Rivera and team president Jason Wright to have a new stadium not just be a building, but fit into part of a greater community.
This plan, in Maryland, certainly helps to do that and maybe a 'Cinderella' entry into the madness that is becoming the search for the Washington Commanders' next home, but never count out the underdog.
For more on this, check out Erick Flack's appearance on the latest episode of the Locked On Commanders Podcast.