It's likely that the Washington Commanders will be leaving their current home in Prince George's County for a new stadium in the District. What would happen to the Northwest Stadium site? How about the land currently home to Six Flags, which is closing close to the end of the year? Prince George's County Executive Aisha Braveboy weighed in, saying the county is already preparing for the team’s departure from the 200-acre-site. Redeveloping the land, Braveboy said, could be a boon.
“We didn't really get to yield the kind of revenue that, let's say a National Harbor, yields for us. I mean, we make about 70 million off National Harbor and 14 million off the Commanders," she said.
Braveboy also noted the redevelopment of the soon-to-be-closed Six Flags, which sits on 500 acres, could also provide additional tax revenue for the county.
Arlington County was the first local jurisdiction in the region to end single-family-only zoning, but the county is now embroiled in a lawsuit over the change. As other counties and cities make similar moves, Arlington County Board member Maureen Coffey joined the show to share lessons learned and the challenges that lie ahead. The D.C. area is feeling the effects of the federal cuts and job losses as unemployment claims rise and layoffs increase. We asked County Board member Coffey what it means for local budgets and how Arlington County is preparing for an uncertain financial future.
We also discussed the Arlington Housing Commission potentially asking the Virginia General Assembly to make it easier for houses of worship to build affordable housing on their land.
Coffey said the legislation could be a win-win.
"I think it's reasonable to look at these properties. Faith communities own a lot of property," Coffey said. "Faith attendance is down, and a lot of these congregations are really struggling to even keep up the properties that they do have."
However, Coffey noted the bill would mandate all Virginia jurisdictions to allow for this type of development.
Plus, we discussed President Trump's renewed threats for the federal government to take over policing the District.
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