Leesburg officials voice opposition to potential NFL stadium in Loudoun

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Leesburg officials voice opposition to potential NFL stadium in Loudoun

By Elizabeth Stinnette Special to the Times-Mirror 17 hrs ago

Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk will draft a letter to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors expressing opposition to the idea of a National Football League stadium potentially being built in Loudoun County following a Tuesday evening Town Council vote on the matter. ... The motion passed 6-1, with Vice Mayor Fernando “Marty” Martinez being the only member to vote against the motion. ... “Our tax money shouldn’t be going to support a stadium that benefits a particular business,” Burk told the Times-Mirror.

Martinez said he voted against the motion because the council did not fully discuss its position on the proposed stadium. He said he sees potential benefits to having the Washington Commanders in Loudoun, pointing to the revitalization that happened in D.C. around Nationals Park after it opened in 2008. ... “I don’t think we looked at the economic advantages,” Martinez said, adding that the stadium could not only bring revenue but employment opportunities. “We have traffic anyway, and I’m sure we could find ways to mitigate it.”

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The state legislation would convert the state’s existing baseball stadium authority — created in 1995 with the hope of attracting a Major League Baseball team to Virginia — into an entity that could oversee the financing and construction of a new National Football League stadium and commercial complex.

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While Virginia Senator Richard Saslaw (D-35th) has said such a stadium would not cost the state any money, Loudoun County staff have expressed concerns that the stadium would still affect local taxpayers. ... For instance, county staff stated in a Board of Supervisors report that under Virginia Code 15.2-5834, the proposed legislation exempts the authority from paying any taxes or assessments, which would include real property and personal property taxes for property owned by the authority.

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[phylny]

1. Where the hell would they build it in Loudoun, first of all.

Second, isn't there already a stadium in Maryland where they play?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. There's this really swell landfill out by Round Hill.

It's Trumpkin's Folly.