Casino Proposed in Washington, D.C. Near Commanders’ Future Stadium

^{Rendering of Chatman Holdings’ proposed casino, hotel, and retail development in Washington, D.C.’s Hill East neighborhood. (Image: courtesy of Chatman Holdings/PVEDI)}

A Pittsburgh-based real estate development firm is pitching a major casino and hotel project near the site of the future Commanders Stadium in the Hill East neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Chatman Holdings LLC presented its idea at a Nov. 18 meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 7F (ANC 7F), where commissioners were briefed on the development plan for the federally owned Reservation 13 site along the Anacostia River.

Casino Would Drive Revenue for Larger East Hill Redevelopment

Chatman Holdings says its proposal would make space for restaurants, retail outlets, a full-service grocery store, and 1,400 units of mixed-use buildings. But in order to support that larger plan, the firm says that it would require a major revenue generator. That would be the casino, paired with a 1,000-room hotel and a 75,000-square-foot convention center.

“Our design allows us to deliver great benefits to the community,” Chatman Holdings CEO Robin Young told the commission. 

There are a couple of hurdles standing in the way of any development, though. The Office of the Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) has no issued requests for proposals for the parcels involved in the casino proposal as of right now. 

Other parts of the Hill East Reservation 13 development have been open to competitive bidding, but ANC 7F Chair Tyrell M. Holcomb argued that simply giving Chatman Holdings the land would dramatically speed up development.

“Instead of us waiting on DMPED another 5, 10, 15 years to come to us and say, ‘We want to put the rest of these parcels out,’ we’re saying to DMPED, ‘we want you to award these parcels to this group now,” Holcomb said at the meeting.

Local Officials Skeptical of Hill East Casino

Even if Chatman Holdings secured the land, the question remains as to whether the city of Washington, D.C. will even allow a casino to be built in Hill East. For one, table games are not yet legal in the District, though there is a bill currently in committee that would allow them in some areas of the city. In addition, it’s not clear that Mayor Muriel Bowser would support such a plan.

“A casino is not part of the vision for the area,” a spokesperson for Mayor Bowser told FOX 5 DC. 

In addition, several other local politicians have said they are either against a casino coming to the neighborhood, or have at least made it clear that such a development isn’t a priority. 

“It’s a monumentally bad idea,” City Councilmember Charles Allen said in a statement. “They want a sweetheart deal for the land and then try to bring a Vegas-style casino to DC. It’s a recipe for disaster and a hard pass for me.”

Councilmember Wendell Felder, whose ward includes the Washington Commanders stadium site, says he hasn’t looked at the proposal yet, but his spokesperson emphasized that his focus "is on advancing community-driven development at Hill East that brings family-serving amenities, housing, recreation, and economic opportunities to residents."

Officials have questioned the wisdom of placing a casino in other sensitive areas near Washington, D.C. as well. A group of more than 100 individuals with national security experience wrote a letter arguing that a proposed casino in Tysons Corner – less than 10 miles from CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia – would pose a risk to national security.