Events Announced for Audi Field Opening

As anticipated, D.C. United has released a schedule of events for the next five days leading up to its inaugural match at Audi Field. Here’s a rundown of what is planned so far, which is also located here:  

• Monday: There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for Audi Field and Housewarming Party from 4:30 to 7pm, located at the NW gate at R and 2nd streets. 
• Tuesday & Wednesday: The club will hold World Cup watch parties at Fado Irish pub and Freedom Plaza downtown. 
• Thursday: There will be an inaugural match ticket giveaway at 10AM via social media. 
• Friday: Happy hour at Bardo Beer Garden from 4:30 to 6:30pm, which is located across South Capitol Street next to Dock 79 apartments in Near SE/Navy Yard/Capitol Riverfront. 
• Saturday (Matchday): The new fan plaza near the NE entrance of Audi Field at Potomac Avenue and Half Street will open at 4pm and will feature a live concert by White Ford Bronco. In addition, there will be a beer garden, games, food trucks, free D.C. United swag, and a fan photo mosaic. Fans can use the hashtag #UnitedAtHome when taking a picture throughout the week and the photo will be added to a photo time capsule that will be hung permanently at the stadium. The Club Shop on the R Street side of the stadium will also open at 4pm. Gates open at 6pm.

This post will be updated with any other opening-related events.

Work Underway at River Point

Construction fencing is up and interior demolition is underway at the former coast guard headquarters building at 2100 2nd Street in Buzzard Point (h/t to reader Bill). Once complete in 2020, River Point will contain 470+ rental apartment units and over 60,000 SF of ground floor retail on all sides of the building, with restaurants facing the Anacostia River. In a May interview with Bisnow, Akridge’s Chip Akridge stated they have a letter of intent with a drugstore and are in final negotiations with a fitness tenant that will open a fitness facility. The developer is also targeting a food hall. A Capital Bikeshare station is planned for the SW corner of the site along the 2nd Street cycle track.

Akridge also stated during the Bisnow interview that the first phase of its adjacent, 7-acre 100 V Street development may get underway early next year. The first phase will be on the southeast corner of the site, which will be called First and V and will contain approximately 250 rental apartment units. 

Another big residential conversion may soon get underway nearby. Michael Neibauer from the Washington Business Journal tweeted this week that Douglas Development has secured a permit to start work on its conversion of 1900 Half Street to a mixed-use development with 419 rental apartment units and 15,600 SF of ground floor retail. 

1900 Half Street

Renderings courtesy of 2100 2nd Street, SW LLC and Antunovich Associates

Audi Field Almost Ready for its Debut

In less than two weeks, Audi Field will be open for its inaugural match where D.C. United will play the Vancouver Whitecaps. On the stadium front, more progress has been made since my last visit in June. For one, the south side of the stadium is more accessible now. Work continues on Audi Way, an extension of 1st Street that curves along the east side of the stadium, which should be completed by the end of this week. Most of the remaining work involves setting up the concessions areas. Work is being done now seven days a week in order to get the stadium finished in time.

🚨 It’s finally July. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/7LRjKh3WoO

— Audi Field (@AudiField) July 1, 2018

Here are some photos of the south part of the stadium.

Retail space on SE corner of stadium

South side of Audi Way still U/C

Street furniture on T Street

View of south facade of stadium

Here are some views on the east side:

Eastern facade from Half Street

Retaining wall covers Pepco facility 

Main gate from Potomac Ave

North side of Audi Way

D.C. United announced today that limited tickets are still available for the inaugural match at Audi Field. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and housewarming party will be held on Monday, July 9 from 4:30 to 7pm. The event will feature speeches from representatives from D.C. United, the District government, and Audi. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at the northwest gate at the corner of 2nd and R streets. Following the ceremony, there will be a housewarming party with D.C. United players, music, games, and food, including a sneak peek of the food offerings that Jose Andres will be offering at Audi Field. While admission is free and open to the public, food and beverage will be available for purchase. There will likely be other events leading up to the grand open that will be announced in the coming days. 

Here's some north and west views of the stadium:

Side view of main gate

A peek behind the gate from R Street

 New plaza on NE side of stadium

Team store on R Street

Northwest stadium entrance

View of western facade along 2nd St.

Field House DC, which will become a pre-game spot for D.C. United matches like The Bullpen is for Nationals games, is now operational on a daily basis during the World Cup. Following the World Cup, the venue will be open on D.C. United match days and will host special events. The entrance to Field House DC is located at the corner of 1st and T streets, just south of Audi Field.  

Main entrance

Seating area

Drink tokens & snacks purchased here

Bar and corn hole

Umbrellas provide limited shade

Seating area & large screen TV

T-Minus 30 Days...

One month from today, D.C. United will host its inaugural match at Audi Field in Buzzard Point, against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Construction in and around the stadium is starting to reach the homestretch (wrong sports analogy) with the pitch now installed, concession areas starting to come into shape, and infrastructure around Audi Field resembling streets in other parts of the city with bike lanes and functional traffic lights along Half Street. Below are some more pictures of the stadium exterior. 

Intersection of R and 2nd streets

View east on R Street

Team store on R Street

2nd Street facade and cycle track

South side of Audi Field on T Street

Meanwhile, DDOT has announced special game-day service to Audi Field, although due to road closures anticipated on opening day, this service won’t be available on July 14. In addition to changing the Navy Yard-Union Station route on a daily basis to L’Enfant Plaza-Eastern Market via M Street starting on June 24, game-day service will bring the Circulator south off of M Street to Half Street with a stop at Half & O streets, then turning left onto Potomac Avenue with a second stop at Potomac Avenue & Half Street serving Audi Field, then across South Capitol Street and left onto 1st Street, SE before turning back onto M Street SE. The route will take this detour east- and west-bound. 

In addition, a new Capital Bikeshare station will be installed in the vicinity of the stadium, although its exact location has not been finalized yet.

Ground Broken for New Douglass Bridge

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on Tuesday for the new Frederick Douglass Bridge at the site of the new bridge in Buzzard Point. Mayor Bowser, DDOT Director Jeff Marootian, DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, Congressman Steny Hoyer, DC Council members Charles Allen and Trayon White, and Federal Highway Administration DC Division Administrator Chris Lawson were all there and spoke about the project’s benefits. Bridge construction will last about four years with completion scheduled for 2021. Below are some pictures from the groundbreaking event.

DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton

Construction crane at foot of bridge

Mayor Muriel Bowser

Congressman Steny Hoyer (MD)

Chris Lawson with FHA DC Division

DDOT Administrator
Jeff Marootian

Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen

Ground is officially broken 

On the way to the ground breaking ceremony, I walked by the construction site of Audi Field, which is still on schedule to open by mid-July. A topping off ceremony was held last month and since then, work has begun on installing the facade of the stadium.  Infrastructure work continues on the roads around the stadium, including Potomac Avenue, which will receive new sidewalks, gutters, trees, and street furniture. Earlier this year, Half Street south of Potomac Avenue reopened to traffic where similar improvements were also made to that street. 2nd Street south of R Street remains closed to traffic as work will be done on that street to create a bike lane and other improvements.

New street lights on Half Street

Beginning of work on stadium's facade

View west of stadium from Half Street

New sidewalk on Potomac Avenue

Street furniture on Potomac Avenue

Buzzard Point News Items

The Washington Business Journal reports that construction of River Point (also known as the former Coast Guard Headquarters building) at the tip of Buzzard Point at 2100 2nd Street is expected to start in the second quarter. Once the project is complete in 2020, the former office building will be converted to a 485-unit apartment building with about 60,000 SF of ground floor retail, most of it facing the Anacostia River. According to the article, targeted retailers include: “waterfront restaurants, retailers, a drug store, neighborhood amenities and a food hall.” Construction will start with gutting the office building to allow more light in the planned residential units.

DC United held a topping off ceremony last Friday for the construction of Audi Field. Fans got to sign the last beam to be installed on the structure. The team’s first match is scheduled for July 14.

Across the street from the stadium, sidewalks around the new Pepco Waterfront substation at 1st and R streets have been opened. One of the public artwork pieces commissioned for the building has been installed at the southeast corner of the substation, located across from Audi Field at 1st and R streets.

A second all-affordable apartment development could be on the boards for the same block of 1st Street after a 76-unit project was approved for the Shulman Liquor site. The High Road Primary & Middle School building for sale on the 1500 block of 1st Street may be used by a developer to satisfy an affordable housing requirement at Capitol Crossing, a major mixed-use development under construction over the Center Leg Freeway (I-395) in Northwest. According to a Washington Business Journal article, the affordable housing requirement for Capitol Crossing would be met by building a 100-unit apartment building at 1530 1st Street for households earning up to 30% and 50% of Area Median Income. Legislation was introduced by D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson back in December which would allow the affordable housing requirement shift to the Buzzard Point site.

Rendering courtesy of River Point Partners LLC