Prince George’s County Council votes to advance billion-dollar entertainment venue project

Vote to authorize $215 million in bonds for the project does not include the project labor agreement language unions had been pushing for

The Sphere concert and entertainment venue planned for National Harbor is another step closer to reality after an vote Monday by the Prince George’s County Council, but unions looking to secure agreements on construction of the project have been left out.

The council voted 11-0 to authorize up to $215 million in special obligation bonds to help build the complex. Those bonds would be repaid by revenue generated by the venue.

The council also approved a labor peace agreement, which allows union groups to organize workers at the Sphere once it opens. But when it comes construction jobs, the council voted down two proposals that would have guaranteed 40% of that work went to unionized employees.

The Sphere’s developers had argued that they have a good track record with unions on the construction of the original Sphere in Las Vegas, and they did not need a project labor agreement for the National Harbor project.

Council member Wala Blegay voted no on one of those agreements.GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.SUBSCRIBE

“We do know that this has been a contentious issue that would have Sphere walk away and we cannot afford to have Sphere walk away in such an important project,” she said.

During a September listening session, Lamar Mutts of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters called for guaranteed wages, benefits and other working conditions for construction workers. Mutts cited past contractor disputes at the Las Vegas venue.

“MSG and Sphere Entertainment: If you want to be our partner, then be a partner,” Mutts said then. “Invest in Prince George’s County contractor workers and young people.”

But County Executive Aisha Braveboy called Monday’s vote a win, saying future tax revenues will more than make up for what’s recently been lost. Braveboy has said the Sphere will generate more than triple the tax revenue produced by Six Flags and the Washington Commanders stadium.

Six Flags recently closed its amusement park in near Bowie, and the Commanders have plans to leave their stadium in Landover and move to a new stadium under construction on the site of the old RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., in 2030.

Braveboy said the county’s economy will get a boost beyond the future tax revenues generated by the project.

“Sphere will have a $1.3 billion overall impact in Prince George’s County,” she said.

The $1.4 billion, 6,000-seat entertainment venue is expected to create 3,300 construction jobs and up to 7,000 permanent jobs. A final vote on the entire project is expected soon.

– As part of Maryland Matters’ content sharing agreement with WTOP, we feature this article from Kyle Cooper. WTOP’s Jimmy Alexander also contributed to this report. Click here for the WTOP News website.