Professional soccer will stay in the district under the terms of a deal reached late Monday between Mayor Muriel Bowser's administration and D.C. United.
Bowser announced the deal Tuesday.
The deal means D.C. United will get a new stadium at Buzzard Point in Southwest. The city's investment had been estimated at $150 million, though it's not clear if Monday's news has changed that price tag.
"There's no question that the district as the center of the region is a logical -- I'd say the most logical -- place for the stadium, and I think all the council members feel that way," Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said.
The new stadium was approved late last year but ran into trouble acquiring land. Virginia began to woo the team to Loudoun County, near Dulles airport. That effort appears to have failed with the new agreements announced Monday.
Sources tell News4 D.C. United agreed to not consider a move to Virginia after district officials said they will move quickly to seize the final piece of land needed to build the new stadium at Buzzard Point.
Bowser "has no intention" of losing the soccer team to Virginia, sources said.
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D.C. has not been able to reach a financial agreement with Akridge, the owner of that final piece of land. The city is expected to try to seize the land using eminent domain, as the district did to build Nationals Park.
The city would gain immediate control of the land and then engage in a legal battle over what the District will pay. That battle could take years but the city would be free to rid the land of pollutants and then turn it over to D.C. United for construction begin.
The owner of the sports bar The Big Stick, which would be within walking distance of the stadium site, said he welcomed the deal.
"I'm very happy. This is a great location for it," Justin Ross said. "It's really going to change the entire area of Southeast and Southwest."
Sources tell News4 the city could move as early as next week to seize the Akridge property.
