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A RESOLUTION
20-750
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
December 17, 2014
To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to assemble the soccer stadium site including through the use of eminent domain; to require the Mayor to amend the ground lease of the soccer stadium site, to require the Mayor to amend the development agreement for the construction of a new soccer stadium; to authorize the rental of airspace and vault space; to amend the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium and District of Columbia National Guard Armory Public Safety Act to make it applicable to the soccer stadium; to amend Title 25 of the District of Columbia Official Code to provide for licenses to be issued to the operator of the soccer stadium; to amend Title 47 of the District of Columbia Official Code to provide tax abatements; and to exempt the transfer of the stadium site from recordation and transfer taxes.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Soccer Stadium Development Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2014”.
Sec. 2. (a) On May 23, 2014, Chairman Phil Mendelson, at the request of the Mayor, introduced Bill 20-805, the Soccer Stadium Development Act of 2014. That legislation was referred to the Committee on Finance and Revenue, the Committee on Government Operations, the Committee on Economic Development, and the Committee of the Whole. A joint public hearing was held on June 26, 2014.
(b) The proposed legislation would enable the district to assemble land for the development of a soccer stadium for DC United at Buzzard Point in Southwest.
(c) The Council of the District of Columbia passed Bill 20-805 unanimously at its December 2, 2014 Legislative Meeting and the measure is due for its final reading on December 17, 2014; however, because of the need for congressional review of the legislation, it would not be effective until well into 2015.
(d) The Council is set to approve a financing package to accompany the stadium legislation on December 17, 2014 through a revised budget request act to provide funding to acquire the necessary land and address other costs relevant to Bill 20-805.
(e) Approval of emergency legislation will allow the District to proceed with assembling the land and horizontal development of the soccer stadium site in an expeditious manner with the funding authority granted under the proposed financing package.
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Soccer Stadium Development Emergency Act of 2014 be adopted after a single reading.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
