Smaller, 6,000-Seat Version Of Las Vegas' Sphere Planned Outside D.C.
New plans have emerged to bring a smaller version of Las Vegas’ iconic Sphere to Maryland’s National Harbor.
The 6,000-seat, high-tech venue from Sphere Entertainment Co. is the first smaller Sphere concept and one of a network of Spheres planned across the globe, the company announced Sunday in a joint release with the state, county and the property owner, Peterson Cos.
The renderings released show the illuminated Sphere sitting next to the MGM National Harbor hotel and casino. It appears taller than the MGM's 23-story hotel, a tower that is visible from miles away in neighboring D.C. and Virginia
The new Sphere, which would host concerts, brand events and other immersive experiences, would be about a third of the Vegas Sphere’s size and cost half as much to build — still more than $1B, The Washington Post reported.
It is expected to produce more than $1B in economic impact and support 2,500 temporary construction jobs and 4,750 jobs once completed, according to the release.
But it isn’t a done deal.
The project requires $200M in state, local and private incentives, many of which require voter approval, according to the Post.
Still fresh in the region’s memory are the big plans gone awry in Potomac Yard after Monumental Sports & Entertainment failed to get state funding for its planned stadium-anchored entertainment district.
There are also plans to negotiate with Peterson Cos. for a $15M discount for the 8 acres of land, the Post reported.
“This will be one of the largest economic development projects in Prince George’s County history — proving once again our state is the best place in the country to bring dreams to life,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in the release. “We’re excited for what this means for our people, and how it will showcase the best of what Maryland has to offer to everyone who visits.”
If Sphere does move forward as planned, it would be a much-needed economic win for a county that has suffered several recent losses.
Six Flags in Bowie shuttered in November after being open since 1999. The 515-acre site is now being marketed by CBRE. The county is also slated to lose the Washington Commanders, who play at Landover’s Northwest Stadium, when they move to the new RFK Stadium development that is underway.
And the prior victory it achieved when Greenbelt was selected as the next home for the FBI headquarters has been pulled out from under it, as the Trump administration says it plans to move the bureau to an existing building on Pennsylvania Avenue instead. Prince George’s County and Maryland are now suing the administration for backtracking on the previously announced plans.
National Harbor, though, has been one of Prince George’s County’s shining stars and served as a major economic driver since the mixed-use waterfront began delivering in 2008. The 308-room hotel with an attached 125K SF casino and 3,000-person theater opened at the end of 2016.
“As only the second Sphere venue in the United States, this project demonstrates the future of economic development in Prince George’s County, how we compete, how we win, and how we attract other world-class destinations that will become flagship projects for our County, our State, and the entire region,” Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy said in the release.
The area attracts more than 15 million visitors annually, the release says. It brings in more than $70M a year in tax revenue, Braveboy said at Bisnow’s Prince George’s County event last year.
Sphere isn’t the first proposed use for the vacant land surrounding MGM National Harbor.
Dating as far back as 2016, Peterson was planning to develop a 1.3M SF development on the site, including a 500-room hotel, 700 apartments, 22K SF of retail and a 22K SF “entertainment-related space” connected to MGM. In 2021, it was marketing the land as a prime site for a corporate headquarters.
