Support for a new Washington Commanders stadium in Virginia is waning in the 11th hour. Already, State Senator Chris Petersen (D-Fairfax) is on record saying he is pulling his vote for the proposal that would give the Commanders $350 million towards a stadium in the Commonwealth.
While some may not agree with the base of his argument against it, but losing a key supporter may be significant. Now, another Virginia state senator has gone on record saying he has a change of heart.
Senator Jeremy McPike (D-Dale City) told 106.7 the Fan’s Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouiher he’ll be flipping his vote from “yes” to “no” for the Commanders’ new stadium funding.
“I voted to move the discussion forward, and [after] listening to constituents, I’m thinking about that red button, that ‘no’ button on the vote,” McPike said.
The Washington Times‘ Matthew Paras added a third senator — Barbara A. Favola (D-Arlington) is also flipping her vote to “no.”
“From the time we first saw the bill to now, there’s been a big shift,” Favola said per Paras.
Virginia may lower spending cap for Commanders stadium
Virginia Governor Greg Youngkin (R) initially vowed for $1 billion for a new Commanders stadium. However, that number was lowered to $350 million for proposal. Now McPike believes that number will decrease once again.
“I think the number’s gonna go down,” McPike continued. “I think the temperature in the room is cooling off a little bit.”
McPike’s claims go along with another Virginia state senator, Stephen D. Newman (R-Bedford). Newman told the Washington Post the number could go under $300 million as both the House and Senate hash out differences on the stadium bills.
As Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch points out, a lot more voters would need to change their vote to kill the measure based on their prior vote. The first vote to move the bill forward was 32-8 in the Virginia Senate on Feb. 15.
The Commanders have reportedly secured the right to purchase $100 million worth of land in Woodbridge, Virginia for a potential new stadium. This is after the team was unable to buy land in Loudoun County, Virginia.
The planned $3 billion development project includes a new team headquarters, practice field, amphitheater, small music indoor arena, bars and restaurants and retail businesses.
All of which is contingent on the Commanders getting appropriate funding. As it stands, that could be in jeopardy based on the outspoken senators.
