The D.C. Council on Wednesday rolled out a blockbuster proposal that would marry D.C. United cash with roughly $300 million in city funds to rebuild and roof Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The plan would push the stadium’s total redevelopment price tag to at least $620 million, add about 8,000 seats, and effectively turn the venue into a year-round hub for sports and concerts.
What Is In The Bill
The ordinance, formally titled the Soccer Stadium Redevelopment and Maintenance Act of 2026, authorizes the Mayor to cut a public-private financing deal with D.C. United to install a climate-controlling roof and expand the stadium by not fewer than 8,000 seats. The measure pegs the total redevelopment investment at not less than $620 million, with at least $320 million coming from private investment and not less than $300 million from the District, to be appropriated in $60 million annual installments over five years, according to LegiScan.
Funding, Taxes And Community Conditions
The legislation layers on two new event-related levies: an additional 4.25% sales-tax surcharge on stadium ticket sales and a matching 4.25% tax on other stadium sales. Those proceeds would flow into a new Soccer Stadium Preservation and Improvement Fund that is intended to handle maintenance and capital costs.
The bill also spells out what the public money is supposed to buy beyond the roof. The redevelopment must “enable not fewer than 100 new events annually.” D.C. United would be required to deliver not fewer than 467 residential units, including 148 affordable units, with 122 of those designated as fully affordable senior units. The project must also include at least one acre of publicly accessible open space, and the ordinance specifies that “the majority of professional sporting events hosted at the Soccer Stadium annually are women’s sports events,” according to LegiScan.
Local Reaction And Context
Local outlets flagged the proposal on July 14, and social media feeds quickly zeroed in on the $620 million price tag, the public-private split, and the unusually explicit requirement that most professional events be women’s sports. As reported by FOX 5 DC and earlier chronicled in an Audi Field shake-up piece, talk of adding a roof and packing in more indoor events has been bubbling in local coverage and planning circles for some time.
What Comes Next
The measure was introduced on July 14 and sent to the Committee on the Whole. It still needs Council approval, the Mayor’s signature or a veto override, and then a 30-day Congressional review period under the Home Rule Act before it can take effect. Hearings, a fiscal-impact analysis, and a committee markup are expected as lawmakers decide whether to lock in the capital appropriations in the upcoming budget cycle, according to the D.C. Council legislative record and D.C. Council LIMS.
Quick Take
The bill ties a huge Buzzard Point waterfront decision to a single stadium deal, bundling housing, open space, and a women’s-sports majority into one very expensive public investment. Expect a loud budget brawl as Councilmembers and community groups argue over whether $300 million in city capital should be used to retrofit and roof an eight-year-old stadium or shifted to other waterfront priorities.
