ABOVE: Christian Staton, a Ward 8 resident and IUPAT 2nd-year glazier apprentice speaks at the 10/23/26 rally. Photo: Michael Blain
Building trades workers, D.C. United’s CEO and community members rallied in front of the John A. Wilson building last Friday, ahead of a D.C. Council hearing on the proposed $620 million redevelopment of Audi Field.
Attendees spoke in support of a plan to modernize the Southwest D.C. stadium and celebrated a key breakthrough: D.C. United and developers Hoffman & Associates have committed to constructing the entire $620 million project under a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with the Baltimore-DC Building Trades Council.
“This is a fantastic project,” said Christian Staton, a Ward 8 resident and second-year apprentice with IUPAT Glaziers’ Local 963, “and that’s because it will be a union project.”
“I joined this union,” he added, “because I believe this union can help me become a better person in the future, and I can help make my city look better again.”
“This is a fantastic project. And that’s because it will be a union project.”
– Christian Station, Ward 8 resident and
2nd-year apprentice with IUPAT Glaziers’ Local 963
“This is a fantastic project. And that’s because it will be a union project.”
– Christian Station, Ward 8 resident and
2nd-year apprentice with IUPAT Glaziers’ Local 963
The redevelopment plan combines $300 million in public municipal financing with $320 million in private funding from D.C. United. It will add a climate-controlling roof to Audi Field and expand seating from around 19,000 to nearly 30,000. On adjacent Parcel B, the project will include new multi-family housing, with over 120 units dedicated to affordable senior housing.
“The Audi Field redevelopment has the potential to create real job opportunities for DC residents,” said Kunta Bedney, a Carpenters’ Union representative and Ward 8 resident. “This redevelopment project is a chance to put DC residents to work and help more people build a future in the trades.
Echoing the importance of community-focused investment, Jason Levien, Co-Chairman and CEO of D.C. United, underscored the club’s commitment to union labor when he spoke at the rally: “As we build out Audi Field, we do it with really good-paying jobs, with local workers, with people who care so much about their community. And that’s really what this is all about.”
D.C. United Co-Chairman and CEO Jason Levien speaks at the 10/23/26 rally. Photo: Michael Blain
“As we build out Audi Field, we do it with really good-paying jobs, with local workers, with people who care so much about their community.”
– Jason Levien, D.C. United Co-Chairman and CEO
“As we build out Audi Field, we do it with really good-paying jobs, with local workers, with people who care so much about their community.”
– Jason Levien, D.C. United Co-Chairman and CEO
The upgrades are vital for Major League Soccer’s (MLS) upcoming 2027 calendar shift to a fall-to-spring schedule, which requires full stadium winterization. A protective roof will turn Audi Field into a year-round venue capable of hosting up to 100 additional events annually, including concerts and matches for tenant teams like the Washington Spirit (NWSL), D.C. Defenders (UFL), D.C. Power FC, and D.C. Flight women’s volleyball.
Rion Dennis, Political and Legislative Director for the Metropolitan Washington Labor Council, AFL-CIO, highlighted during the rally how project labor agreements deliver community benefits, noting that PLAs are “one of our best tools to ensure that economic development actually develops for the residents here in the District.”
Following the rally, the D.C. Council held a public hearing on the Soccer Stadium Redevelopment and Maintenance Act of 2026 (Bill 26-0769). Introduced by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, the bill would authorize a five-year public-private financing agreement and establish a dedicated stadium preservation fund.
“The Building Trades Council has been laser focused on expanding our workforce development efforts,” testified Baltimore-DC Building Trades Council President Greg Akerman, “preparing today’s young people, and especially returning citizens, to work on projects like the redevelopment of Audi Field.”
Ackerman added that pre-apprenticeship initiatives like Raising the Bar — a free 6-week program run in partnership with the Construction Trades Workforce Initiative — prepare “the District’s next generation of union construction workers so that they’re ready to participate in exciting projects like the redevelopment of Audi Field.”
Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades Council President Greg Akerman testifies at the 10/23/26 D.C. Council hearing on the Audi Field redevelopment proposal. Photo: Michael Blain
“The Building Trades Council has been laser focused on expanding our workforce development efforts, preparing today’s young people, and especially returning citizens, to work on projects like the redevelopment of Audi Field.”
– Greg Akerman, President
Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades Council
“The Building Trades Council has been laser focused on expanding our workforce development efforts, preparing today’s young people, and especially returning citizens, to work on projects like the redevelopment of Audi Field.”
– Greg Akerman, President
Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades Council
The upgrades are vital for Major League Soccer’s (MLS) upcoming 2027 calendar shift to a fall-to-spring schedule, which requires full stadium winterization. A protective roof will turn Audi Field into a year-round venue capable of hosting up to 100 additional events annually, including concerts and matches for tenant teams like the Washington Spirit (NWSL), D.C. Defenders (UFL), D.C. Power FC, and D.C. Flight women’s volleyball.
Rion Dennis, Political and Legislative Director for the Metropolitan Washington Labor Council, AFL-CIO, highlighted during the rally how project labor agreements deliver community benefits, noting that PLAs are “one of our best tools to ensure that economic development actually develops for the residents here in the District.”
Following the rally, the D.C. Council held a public hearing on the Soccer Stadium Redevelopment and Maintenance Act of 2026 (Bill 26-0769). Introduced by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, the bill would authorize a five-year public-private financing agreement and establish a dedicated stadium preservation fund.
“The Building Trades Council has been laser focused on expanding our workforce development efforts,” testified Baltimore-DC Building Trades Council President Greg Akerman, “preparing today’s young people and especially returning citizens to work on projects like the redevelopment of Audi Field.”
Ackerman added that pre-apprenticeship initiatives like Raising the Bar — a free 6-week program run in partnership with the Construction Trades Workforce Initiative — prepare “the District’s next generation of union construction workers so that they’re ready to participate in exciting projects like the redevelopment of Audi Field.”
Danita Johnson, President of Business Operations for D.C. United, testified about the operational urgency of the proposal, explaining that Audi Field must currently pause winter operations and shut off water to avoid freezing plumbing throughout the facility.
Stressing that an upgraded stadium will support more women’s sports and generate lasting economic returns, Johnson said: “The evolution of Audi Field creates new places to live, work and be entertained and delivers proven economic value back to the city.”
Looking ahead, Bill 26-0769 faces a multi-stage legislative review. Following last week’s hearing, the Committee of the Whole is keeping the public record open for written testimony through early November. Because the proposal links stadium modernization with an adjacent residential development featuring affordable and senior housing, the bill has been referred jointly to the Committee of the Whole and the Committee on Human Services. Committee staff will evaluate public input and draft a revised markup before advancing the bill to the full D.C. Council for a vote.