Maryland county approves $1.4 billion Sphere at National Harbor with $215 million in bonds
The Prince George's County Council voted 8-0 on Oct. 27 to authorize special obligation bonds worth up to $215 million for a 6,000-seat Sphere venue at National Harbor, a $1.4 billion project that will be built without a project labor agreement.
Sphere Entertainment Co., which runs the $2 billion Sphere in Las Vegas, will pay the bonds back to the county over time, ENR reported. The county has also committed to a $40 million parking garage, and the state of Maryland is putting in $13 million. Three of the council's 11 members missed the vote, NBC Washington reported.
Work on the venue and the surrounding complex could start around the first of the year, but no contractor has been named, according to ENR. Opening is planned for 2030. The building gets a full wraparound LED exterior and a 16K by 16K screen inside, with haptic seats and 4D effects.
Building trades pushed for a project labor agreement, and the fight nearly sank the deal: some officials said Sphere would not sign if a PLA was required, NBC Washington reported. Under the compromise, the owner must commit to local hiring, to participation by county-based minority-owned and small businesses, and to workforce training, ENR reported. The venue will bring in $63 million a year in taxes, County Executive Aisha Braveboy said.
Why it matters: With no PLA, open-shop firms can bid without signing union terms, but expect local-hire and minority-business participation targets in the bid packages. Next to watch is who gets named builder: ENR says work could start around the start of 2027.
Sources
- National Harbor Sphere: Prince George's Co. Council gives final vote of approvalNBC4 Washington, Oct 27
- County Vote Gets Maryland Sphere Project RollingENR, Oct 28