Mayor Sheila Dixon has asked the Maryland Stadium Authority to explore the possibility of building a soccer stadium in Baltimore to woo D.C. United, the Major League Soccer franchise in the nation's capital that has said it is looking for a new stadium.
The letter, dated last Wednesday and received by the agency Monday, asks the authority to study the potential benefits of building a 17,000- to 20,000-seat stadium that could serve as United's permanent home, as well as host concerts, lacrosse games and other events.
A spokesman for Dixon said Tuesday that it is uncertain how the stadium might be financed. Similar plans to build a soccer stadium in Prince George's County for D.C. United were rejected this year, in part because of concerns about using taxpayer dollars.
"Right now, we're just looking at asking the Maryland Stadium Authority to study if the stadium could be self- supporting," said Scott Peterson, a Dixon spokesman. "In these economic times, we understand that the city ... has bigger priorities in spending its money."
Demaune A. Millard, Dixon's chief of staff and a member of the stadium authority, said the goal of the letter is to "get the ball rolling" on exploring the idea of building a stadium. He said he hopes the agency will approve funds for a feasibility study in the near future. Other stadium authority members seemed interested in Dixon's idea.
Though Peterson and Millard said the city has had no contact with D.C. United about a move, team officials indicated Tuesday that they would be interested in seeing the results of a study.
"D.C. United continues to search for an appropriate, long-term home for our team," Doug Hicks, the club's vice president of communications, said in an e-mail.
"Baltimore has demonstrated its ability to work with the state to create world-class facilities for the Orioles and Ravens. We believe a new D.C. United stadium can be an exciting and vital economic engine and look forward to the results of the Maryland Stadium Authority study of a Baltimore City location. Our conversations with other municipalities will continue."
The proposed stadium complex, according to Dixon's letter, would be part of a "green mixed-use project" with access to light rail, Interstates 95 and 295, as well as Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium.
"For example," the letter states, "the 42-acre Westport Waterfront project meets these standards."
