D.C. United took a massive step toward finding a permanent home in D.C. Tuesday afternoon, when it formally unveiled two new investors in the club. Indonesian media magnate Erick Thorir will be United’s new majority owner, and former sports agent and NBA executive Jason Levien will join current owner Will Chang at the helm of the most successful club in Major League Soccer history.

The three seemed to share a natural chemistry, one Levien compared to a family. United’s new co-owner referred to Chang—who has been the sole investor in the club since 2009—as “the grandfather,” while Thorir, he half-joked, would be the “rich uncle.”

It didn’t take long for the conversation to turn to United’s most obvious and pressing need: a new state-of-the-art soccer-specific stadium. United is one of just three MLS clubs who doesn’t have its own home—and has no current plans to get one.

“We see a pathway and know we have to use a machete to get there,” said Levien, who has deep ties in D.C. and is aware of the city’s unique political landscape. “There are certainly going to be challenges in terms of D.C. politics, and we need to understand who are the right people to get behind this effort,” Levien added. “I think we know a lot of who those folks are.”

With Chang living in San Fransisco and Thorir (pronounced toe-HERE) based halfway around the world, Levien—who, like Thorir, is a co-owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers—will provide the black and red with a local presence that they’ll need during their push for a stadium.

“Erick and I have asked Jason to represent the ownership as a managing partner, to lead our efforts to get us our permanent home and also provide oversight for our business,” Chang said.

United President and CEO Kevin Payne, who has been with the club since its inception, will retain his position and run the team’s day-to-day business. All other front office personnel also survived the ownership change.

While the most dramatic action may be taking place in the owners box, United followers may also soon see some changes on the pitch as well. Thorir’s deep pockets may provide the club with ample cash to do something they’ve never really been able to: pursue a high-profile, well-known designated player.

“Will, Erick and I have spent a lot of time together talking about designated player opportunities,” Levien told the assembled media. “Our sense is—it’s great that we have the resources to look for those opportunities. We want to do so carefully, thoughtfully and not in a rash way. That’s certainly one of the tools in our tool bag.”

Thorir was equally keen on finding a new designated player, but also acknowledged the importance of homegrown talent. “It doesn’t mean I don’t want to spend the money,” Thorir said. “But I’m a sport man. I want to spend the money, but I want to win the championship the right way—not just buying players. … There have to be more Americans because we play in the United States. We have to also contribute to the U.S. national team.”

Despite the overall air of positivity at the W Hotel yesterday, some United fans may remain skeptical. We’ve been down this road before, right? After multiple failed stadium deals, some may be hesitant to buy into the the hype. I asked Levien what he’d say to the United fan who’s carrying some stadium-related emotional baggage. He gave a hopeful yet cautious response:

“Here’s what I would say: I don’t want to make any promises. I want to under-promise and over-deliver. And you’re going to get to know what we’re trying to do with our actions more than with our words. I don’t want to have another big press conference announcing a stadium until we get a shovel in the ground”

And what about Baltimore? It was only several months ago that we learned the club had explored the possibility of relocating there. Is that off the table now?

“I think we don’t want to take anything off the table. But knowing our heritage, knowing our goals, we have to keep that in mind,” Levien said. “We’re D.C. United. That’s our name. That’s our brand.”

For my part, I left the press conference with a renewed sense of hope with regard to United’s stadium dilemma. That’s something I haven’t felt in years. While the team’s performance on the playing field has been marvelous this year, it’s often been tempered with that feeling that all United fans know all too well: “Will the team be here in a couple of years?”

I’m starting to believe, once again, that it will be. The new ownership setup has it all, more or less: a soccer-savvy investor with some crazy Indonesian cheddar and a politically connected backer who knows the topography of D.C.’s political landscape. And what can you even say about Will Chang at this point? He’s proven his commitment to both club and city over and over again. He likely could have unloaded the entire team, but made it clear yesterday afternoon that that was never his intention.

The new ownership group seems to be anxious to make progress on the facility front, and to do it sooner rather than later. I asked Thorir and Levien what their timetable was in regards to getting the ball rolling on a stadium deal. Levien glanced down at his watch.

“The ball starts rolling in about fifteen minutes,” he said.