Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans was on The Kojo Nnamdi Show today to try and calm the simmering sturm und drang over the idea that the District is recklessly going to shell over some primo land by RFK Stadium to Dan Snyder‘s Redskins for a new training facility/corporate office.

Evans was at pains throughout his time on the show to stress that the city’s talks with the ‘Skins are just talks, and there’s nothing even close to resembling a deal between the District and the team.

“There’s no new news to report,” Evans said in reference to today’s A1 story in the Post on the city’s efforts to lure the team to northern third of the 67-acre Res 13 in Hill East. Evans also emphasized that the city wouldn’t be spending a dime on building any proposed training facility (though there would probably be some not-so-insignificant costs associating with clearing the land and making it ready to build on).

That said, Evans asked the chorus of voices opposing any effort to lure the  team to relax for a second and consider the possibilities. His pitch: a training facility and the mixed-use development, which the anti-‘Skins crowd like Ward 6 Councilmartyr Saint Tommy Wells want for Res 13,  aren’t mutually exclusive ideas. A Redskins development, says Evans, might even be the “jump start or the catalyst” the languishing mixed-use plans need.

LL pities the poor architect tasked with trying to design an overall concept that appeases both the Redskins, who will have pretty specific needs in terms of parking, practice fields, weight rooms, etc., and the smart growth set, who want to see a mix of businesses, homes, and green space in on of the city’s most valuable tracts of real estate.  But hey, LL’s willing to keep on open mind, unlike some people.

Photo via NFLShop.com