FedEx Field Area May Be Transformed Into Year-Round Hub: Reports

LANDOVER, MD — Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks wants to revamp the area around FedEx Field. She hopes to transform Landover into a year-round entertainment destination, DCist and WTOP reported last week.

This comes a year after Washington Football Team Owner Dan Snyder contemplated building a new venue in the District of Columbia on the site of the current Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.

Snyder has since shied away from that plan, The Washington Post noted. The news outlet informed that Snyder now wants to stay in Maryland and build a new complex where sports gambling is allowed.

That could explain Maryland's new law that legalized sports betting. Washington, D.C. allows sports gaming in some places, but the RFK property is not included because it's federal land, BettingUSA.com advised.

Last October, Gov. Larry Hogan told the Washington Football Talk podcast that he wants to keep the team's stadium in Maryland. The Prince George's County executive is now putting that plan into action.

Alsobrooks will spend $17.6 million on infrastructure improvements around the Metro's Blue and Silver lines, DCist clarified. These routes both drop off at the Morgan Boulevard station, which is about a mile from FedEx field.

“We’re hoping to have restaurants and have other entertainment and many other community uses that will go on all year long,” Alsobrooks said, according to WTOP. “Sports betting, of course, we believe will be a key part of the pitch that we’re making to retain the Washington Football Team.”

FedEx field opened in 1997. Many fans complain about the stadium's distance from town centers and congested traffic after events.

These factors paired with years of underperformance have meant that the Washington Football Team has struggled to fill the stands in recent years. The team countered this trend by removing and covering seats to make the stadium look more full. This also helps the team meet ticket sales requirements from the NFL for games to air locally.

Head to DCist and WTOP to read their full stories, complete with more details.

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