A Mayor Hints at Eminent Domain Use for a Soccer Stadium

Soccer, the world’s version of football, necessitates stadiums for professional teams in the US. The District of Columbia’s professional soccer team, the D.C. United, is getting a new stadium once all the requisite land is acquired.

Negotiations between a landowner, who owns 2 acres of primo D.C. land, and the District aren’t going so well. At least not in terms of what matters- numbers.

As a result, the mayor keeps dropping hints that D.C. will use eminent domain. The mayor wisely hasn’t used the phrase “eminent domain.”  Washington City Paper

Refreshing our recollections: Stadiums are economic drivers. Back in the day, Oakland, CA bandied about the idea of using eminent domain to keep the Raiders in Oakland because of the economic development boon the team meant for the city.