No, there was no magic answer on a future permanent home for D.C. United at the team’s annual kickoff luncheon at the Renaissance Hotel downtown earlier today. But team owner Will Chang did have some enlightening stuff to say:
In a one-on-one chat, I asked him first about how United has essentially been overtaken by other Major League Soccer clubs that either have a new stadium (New York) or at least have a shovel in the ground (Kansas City):
“Because many of the other teams have either gotten their own stadium or started construction on their own stadium, it makes me run a lot harder now, and there’s a lot more pressure on me and the team to find a new permanent home,” said Chang. “There’s a lot more pressure. The silver lining to it is that each year that goes by, the league gets stronger. We have stronger ownership groups that come into the league, and what New York has done is raise the bar for everybody. That gives us the opportunity to look at more opportunities, in terms of a better product than 4-5 years ago.”
Alright then. The next logical question, of course, was where does the team stand on its pursuit of a soccer stadium?
“We’re looking at three sites very closely, and probably another three that we’re still exploring. We have a number of sites, but we look forward to being able to announce where we’re focusing one site by the end of this year, to being able to announce a particular site that we’re going to pursue.”
I’ve heard mentioned that if the team simply offered to pay a larger share, more doors would open. So I asked, has anything changed in terms of the equation of how a stadium will be financed?
“What has changed is that because of New York and a number of other facilities, the full tide has risen for the stadium naming rights and our sponsorship of the jersey has also helped raise the bar. With additional sponsorship dollars coming in, it gives us the opportunity to be able to have more ongoing cash flow to be able to service the debt. To that extent, that has improved, but in terms of whether our desire from a team standpoint to put more money down really isn’t the driving force. The driving force is picking a location first and second, picking a jurisdiction who’s going to work with us, not just saying hey we’ll work with you. We want a jurisdiction that says, look we want you to come here, and we’re going to champion this, and this is a very high priority for us, and that’s the driving force.
Unless I’m willing to build the thing with all cash, ultimately there’s going to be some sort of publc-private finance and so long as there’s any public financing involved, we just have to find a jurisdiction who is going to work with us and champion the cause for us. That’s a key driving force.”
Chang said he has an investment banker and has been courting prospects to add to the D.C. United ownership group, and he compared the team’s situation to the San Francisco Giants, of which he is also part-owner. Chang talked about how the Giants, despite being owned by lifelong San Franciscan Bob Lurie, were nearly sold and shipped to Florida in 1992 before a group of ten local businessmen stepped in and chipped in $10 million apiece to purchase the team. Chang joined the group when it expanded to 30, and now, of course, the Giants have their own sparking venue.
“We were able to do what one person was not able to do,” said Chang. “Thirty guys each came together and started rowing in the same way. We were able to go upstream and cross the finish line. One guy can’t do it, and I find myself in the same position.”
With that said, I asked him if he could allay any fears that he himself was looking to bolt the team and the city. He certainly didn’t take a rose-colored view.
“Bob Lurie was born and raised in San Francisco,” said Chang. “Bob Lurie’s father was a very prominent businessman in San Francisco. Everybody loved him. He was a very active philanthropist, and at some point in time, if you get beaten up by the local community long enough, you give up. So am I about to give up? Absolutely not. In years down the road, after getting beat up time and time again, will I get to the point where I can’t take it anymore? I can’t say. Just like Bob, I might find myself in the same position. I’m not going to make that promise. But I think I’m doing all the right things and trying to reach out to the community and expand the ownership group so that we do get people who have a vested interest in keeping the franchise here. That’s the best I can do.”
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