Dixon promotes soccer stadium in Baltimore
"As for who will own the land if the soccer stadium is at the Westport site, the MSA makes a recommendation and we take further action from there."
This is not the first time in recent years that the MSA has looked at the possibility of moving D.C. United to Maryland.
"A year ago, when D.C. United was looking to relocate to Prince George's County, we held a study, but that blew up in legislation because they were resistant to the idea of paying for the stadium," Jan Hardesty, public information officer for the MSA, said.
Currently, the MSA is actually looking at the possibility of two soccer stadiums.
"We are looking at proposals for two different soccer stadiums in two different places. One is from the mayor, asking for a study for a potential stadium at Westport to house D.C. United," Hardesty said.
"But before the mayor's proposal, we were already looking at one from Crystal Palace, [a semi-pro soccer team associated with the U.K.]. They hold their home games in the UMBC stadium and they have about 2000 people per game. They're working with the Baltimore Development Company, I think with Pat Carrington and Peter Kirk, to build a stadium for 7000 people at Carroll Camden Industrial Park."
Crystal Palace FC USA is the sister organization of the world-renowned Crystal Palace Football Club in the U.K. and is the first professional soccer team in the U.S. with a direct link to a pro-English football team.
"The current status is that plans are still pending, we're [having] ongoing discussions with the MSA. The two feasibility studies are independent of each other, so from what I know, I don't think progress is being hindered in any way [because of the Mayor's proposal for another stadium study]," a spokesman for Crystal Palace said.
Craig Appleby, head coach of the men's soccer team at Hopkins has mixed feeling about the two proposals.
"At first thought, it seems like a long move to pull D.C United up to Baltimore. But having a team like D.C. United, which has established itself, is good for the soccer community," he said.
This is not the first time in recent years that the MSA has looked at the possibility of moving D.C. United to Maryland.
"A year ago, when D.C. United was looking to relocate to Prince George's County, we held a study, but that blew up in legislation because they were resistant to the idea of paying for the stadium," Jan Hardesty, public information officer for the MSA, said.
Currently, the MSA is actually looking at the possibility of two soccer stadiums.
"We are looking at proposals for two different soccer stadiums in two different places. One is from the mayor, asking for a study for a potential stadium at Westport to house D.C. United," Hardesty said.
"But before the mayor's proposal, we were already looking at one from Crystal Palace, [a semi-pro soccer team associated with the U.K.]. They hold their home games in the UMBC stadium and they have about 2000 people per game. They're working with the Baltimore Development Company, I think with Pat Carrington and Peter Kirk, to build a stadium for 7000 people at Carroll Camden Industrial Park."
Crystal Palace FC USA is the sister organization of the world-renowned Crystal Palace Football Club in the U.K. and is the first professional soccer team in the U.S. with a direct link to a pro-English football team.
"The current status is that plans are still pending, we're [having] ongoing discussions with the MSA. The two feasibility studies are independent of each other, so from what I know, I don't think progress is being hindered in any way [because of the Mayor's proposal for another stadium study]," a spokesman for Crystal Palace said.
Craig Appleby, head coach of the men's soccer team at Hopkins has mixed feeling about the two proposals.
"At first thought, it seems like a long move to pull D.C United up to Baltimore. But having a team like D.C. United, which has established itself, is good for the soccer community," he said.
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