Speak Out: What Do You Think About the ‘Skins Staying in Ashburn?
While the summer training camps will move to Richmond starting in 2013, the team has agreed to keep its headquarters in Loudoun.
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Year after year, one of the great debates in the region has been whether the Redskins plan relocate the team’s headquarters and training facility and leave Ashburn.
Thursday’s news from Gov. Bob McDonnell made clear that the team plans to stay put at Redskins Park.
On the down side, Northern Virginians accustomed to watching the team during its summer training program will have to head south to Richmond starting in 2013.
Below are some of the details about the announcement, but Patch would like to hear from you.
What do you think about the HQ staying in Ashburn, and what do you think about training camp in Richmond?
The announcement means Virginia can continue to reap the benefits of the only national sports franchise located here. More than 1,800 jobs are attributed directly or indirectly to the team, as well as $200 million in annual economic activity, providing nearly $10 million in state and local revenue, according to information provided from McDonnell’s office.
The expansion of the Ashburn facility is expected to support nearly 400 jobs during construction and nearly $53 million in economic activity. The existing HQ supports, directly and indirectly, 350 jobs and generates $2.2 million in state and local revenue. More than 20,000 people visit the headquarters each year.
"Virginia considers the Redskins our team,” McDonnell said. “The team is based here. The team trains here. The players live here. Virginia is committed to keeping the Redskins right here in our state for years to come, and today we've taken a significant step towards accomplishing that goal.”
Redskins Head Coach Mike Shanahan said in comments released from the team that he looks forward to the improved training site in Ashburn. The Redskins inflated a practice bubble on the site in earlier this year to facilitate workouts during the winter and poor weather.
“You always want a state-of-the-art facility,” he said. “The same thing with the weight room, you want a state-of-the-art weight room, you want a state-of-the-art media room, the technology that some of these news teams have and we want to have that ability as well. So, we want free agents to come in and say, ‘Hey, you’ve got a great facility. I can see me coming here and getting to be a better football player,' and obviously we grow as an organization.”
Virginia has committed $4 million over the next two years to help with the summer camp move as well as the training facility expansion. According to the Washington Post, with money promised from Loudoun and Richmond, the team expects to receive about $6.4 million in incentives to stay put.
Sean Farrell
9:54 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
This is huge for Virginia and Ashburn. Despite the team's struggles in recent years, the Redskins remain as one of the most valuable franchises in all of sports. With renewed national attention as a result of the acquisition of RGIII, the area should reap the rewards of being in the spotlight as part of the DMVs sports renaissance. Go Skins! #HTTR
Leslie Ackerman
8:15 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
When you have to pass by their compound, slow to ridiculous 25 mph in a parkway and go through a narrow road full of potholes and bumps, every single day, while facing impatient bully-obnoxious drivers who harras you from your back, and with no one (especially THEM!) doing anything to rectifiy that and do somehing meaningful for the community , I can only look forwards to their departure so that others can go about their daily lives with less "bumps" and idiots along the road.
Dan M
8:36 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
If the state and county had $6M to spend, they could have spent it to improve LC parkway outside the facility. Even better, put it towards the schools and help lower the student ratio. Paying a billionaire an extortion fee is not being fiscally responsible.
Since the state and Supervisors have now shown that they're really not fiscal conservatives, I wonder what their next excuse will be for opposing Metro.
Paul
8:52 pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012
If we are keeping the redskins training facility can we please fix that aweful stretch of road just south of their facility? The training bubble is a loveley eyesore, but, I don't have to drive on it. That stretch of 25 mph zig-zag single lane road, on the other hand, I do have to drive on.
And if the redskins are going to train here in our community, could they not drive on our roads the same way they are supposed to crush the opposition? I don't care if you are a world class athlete with a hundred thousand dollar car, riding my bumper won't get you to practice on time if you left the house a little late. "Coach will be angry if I'm late" won't be a valid excuse if you merge into a vahicle that doesn't see you trying to force your way through traffic. Maybe we could fund some of those road improvements by ticketing the players.
Joe
12:37 pm on Sunday, June 10, 2012
I'm not interested in spending taxpayer dollars to support Dan Snyder's private company. The economic benifits generated by sports teams are grossly exagerated. Too bad our politicians don't have the same passion for our schools--root for your local High School; it won't move in a couple of years.
joe brewer
7:27 pm on Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Someone told me Buffalo had a real football team, i told him we can't have that cause Washington D.C. would want one .
hongfeng
4:23 am on Monday, January 7, 2013
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