Smaller-Scale Sphere Set for DC Area

If all goes according to plan, by 2030 the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) will be home to a second Sphere entertainment complex, though one that’s smaller than the original in Las Vegas. Plans for the new Sphere at the National Harbor complex in Prince George’s County in Maryland were unveiled in a press release put out jointly by New York-based Sphere Entertainment Co., the state of Maryland, Prince George’s County and developer the Peterson Cos.

Located south of D.C. and across the Potomac River from Arlington, Va., the interior of the new sphere would be home to a 6000-seat concert venue, while its shell would consist of a seamless LED display that can act as a high-tech billboard for brand and event promotions.

The news release noted that to go forward, the project is contingent upon the “negotiation and execution of definitive agreements, as well as receipt of certain governmental incentives and approvals from Prince George’s County and the State of Maryland.” In its coverage of the news, The Washington Post provided added detail on what all needs to happen for the project to advance:

“Many incentives [to help build the facility] require a public vote, however, including $10 million in financing from the state at a time when Maryland faces a $1.4 billion budget deficit. It also calls for forgoing as much as $130 million in future local tax money, building a $40 million public parking garage and tweaking existing incentives for National Harbor offered by Prince George’s County, which is reeling from multiple economic punches in the past year.”

Should it come to fruition, those involved say the new Sphere would be an economic bonanza for the region, supporting 2500 jobs during its construction and 4,750 jobs once operational, and having an economic impact of more than $1 billion annually there.