Jason Wright has big plans for Washington’s next stadium

Jason Wright isn’t just tasked with leading Washington through a name change and overseeing a new business department in the wake of sexual harassment allegations that rocked the team’s workplace. In fact, one of the biggest projects for the new Washington team president will be ushering in a new stadium for the franchise.

The team’s lease at FedEx Field in Landover expires in 2027 — and given the time it takes to finalize plans and construct a new stadium, it’s a pressing priority for the 38-year-old, who begins his job on Monday.

In a phone interview with The Washington Times, Wright said he was excited to lead Washington’s pursuit. He called it an “economic engine” for the area — wherever Washington’s next stadium lands.

Is returning to the District a goal?

“I’m the lead executive on how we approach the stadium,” Wright told the Washington Times. “It’ll be great for me to jump in on Monday and understand where things are at. I’ve done a lot of things related to big capital projects, but I sure as heck have never built a stadium. There’s probably only a handful of people that have in their lifetime. But I’m excited to dive in and learn where we’re at.

“The biggest thing for me, irrespective of location and burning questions for so many, is actually the principles we will use to build the stadium.”

Wright, a former seven-year NFL back turned business consultant, said the goal is to have a project that results in economic growth for the surrounding area and impact the given community. As an example, he floated building a retail complex surrounding the stadium and finding ways to have a “net boon” to different demographics. He said he had talked about the plan with owner Dan Snyder.

“That’s actually my big vision for this and why I’m so excited about taking this project on,” Wright said. “If we can be the first team to build a stadium in a way that uses inclusive growth principles, that would be an amazing accomplishment.”

Wright also floated “next-generation technology” for the next stadium as a way to have new ways to engage fans, noting they can begin forming that plan now.

“There’s a lot of exciting things to get done over the horizon,” he said. “But In order to have the right to do that, we have to get our culture right and we’ve got to navigate a really tricky season.”