Prince George's CountySaturday, November 7
The Sphere at National Harbor wins approval of its site plan from the county planning board
The Daily Bowie team
If you drive past National Harbor, this one's coming into view. The Prince George's County Planning Board unanimously approved the Sphere's detailed site plan Thursday, though WTOP calls it preliminary approval. The venue would stand just over 300 feet tall, slightly taller than the hotel towers at the neighboring MGM casino.
The Sphere would total over 447,000 square feet
Floor area of the proposed Sphere, beside places you know
8 football fields would fit inside the proposed Sphere
Sources: Maryland Matters, WTOP News
View as table
| Floor area | |
|---|---|
| The proposed Sphere | 447,000 sq. ft. |
| A football field | 57,600 sq. ft. (end zones included) |
| A Walmart Supercenter | about 180,000 sq. ft. |
Residents have raised questions about traffic, parking and light pollution. James Hunt of the county planning department said after the vote there would not be “any type of light pollution coming outside of the property itself.”
- Financing: up to $215 million in bonds, approved 8-0 by council
- Repayment: expected from National Harbor district revenues, not general fund
- Light: illumination falls off beyond 69 feet from the base
- Garage: 2,100 spaces planned; staff want it built before opening
- Next step: parking requirements, likely in spring, with a public hearing
The Sphere would cost $1.4 billion and seat about 6,000
- $1.4 billion
- for the entertainment venue
- 6,000
- seats, approximately
- 302 feet
- tall on the National Harbor skyline
Sources: WJLA, NBC4 Washington
Sources: NBC4 Washington, WTOP News, Maryland Matters, WJLA