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Home to one of the NFL's most popular teams, FedEx Field
has been the home to the Washington Redskins for 15 years. After more than two decades of playing at RFK Stadium,
owner Jack Kent Cooke envisioned a new stadium for the
Redskins in 1987. Cooke was dissatisfied with RFK Stadium and proposed building a 78,000 seat
domed stadium adjacent to RFK Stadium. Cooke agreed to build the stadium
contingent on the terms that the city would
assume responsibility for the infrastructure and parking. The
National Park Service opposed the plan because it would fill a
portion of the Anacostia River for stadium parking. Until 1992,
negotiations between the Redskins and the District continued as
Cooke maintained that he wanted a stadium built in DC. Even so, the
team had discussions with Fairfax and Loudon Counties in Virginia,
just incase discussions with DC failed. Unfortunately for the Redskins this occurred and in April 1992,
negotiations between the Redskins and the District ended. It
appeared the Redskins would move to Alexandria, VA after
Cooke signed an agreement with the State of Virginia in July 1992
to pay for a $250 million stadium. However, by October this plan was
also abandoned and the Redskins began negotiations with the District
again. After a long wait, in February 1993 the Redskins finally signed a formal agreement to build
a stadium in Washington, DC.
This plan unraveled
by October 1993 as environmental studies and government obstacles
delayed the stadium project. After this, Cooke was so frustrated
that he no
longer wanted to build a stadium in DC. Two months later
he bought land in Anne Arundel County, MD to construct a stadium. In
October 1994 Anne Arundel County rejected Cooke's proposal for a
stadium leading him to purchase land in Landover, MD where he
reached an agreement to build a 78,000 seat stadium in December
1995. Construction began immediately on the stadium.
After years of struggling to get a stadium built for his team, Cooke
sadly
never saw his stadium completed. He died several months before the
stadium was completed. Initially, the stadium was named, Jack Kent
Cooke Stadium.
The Washington Redskins
played their first game at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium on September
14, 1997. With 80,116 seats, Jack Kent Cooke Stadium was the
largest stadium in the NFL. Three tiers of red and yellow seats
circle the entire playing field. Two video-boards are located
beyond both endzones. In 1999, Daniel Snyder bought the Redskins
and he decided to sell the naming rights to Federal Express. Jack
Kent Cooke Stadium was renamed
FedEx
Field. Since he bought the team in 1999, Snyder has spent $100
million improving the stadium. Before the 2000 season, nearly
3,000
seats were added, including a new owners club suite level and
escalators to the upper deck. FedEx Field was expanded again
before the 2004 season. The seating capacity was increased from
86,000 to over 91,000. Ten rows of seats were added to the back of
the lower bowl section that rings the north half of the stadium.
The number of luxury suites also increased from 199 to 243. After the 2009
season, the video/scoreboards located in both endzones were
replaced with new 100ft. long HD video/scoreboards. FedEx Field has many amenities including several
restaurants that overlook the field and a Redskins Hall of Fame.
Displayed on the upper level balcony, circling
the seating bowl, is the Redskins Ring of Fame that contains 40
names of Redskins players and coaches. Located above the north endzone are championship flags that commemorate the Redskins
playoff history.
FedEx Field is no
longer one of the largest stadiums in the NFL. After the 2010
season, over 6,000 seats were removed from the endzone areas of
both upper decks. The Redskins removed the seats in order to
create a party deck, standing room only, sections in each
endzone. After the 2011 season an additional 4,000 seats were
removed further reducing the seating capacity to 79,000.
Renovations to the fifth level luxury suites were also completed
before the start of the 2012 season.
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