Former WaPo.com editor Jim Brady‘s new local site for the company that owns Politico is aiming big.

In an interview with paidContent’s David Kaplan, Brady says that the site–currently unnamed–will start with a staff of 50.

Now, this will also include a merger of Allbritton Communications’ two TV web sites, WJLA.com and News8.net, but that figure of 50 is going to be separate from the TV stations employees.

Fifty people to launch a web-only startup.

InDenverTimes launched with about 30 staffers.

AnnArbor.com started with about 25, not including business folk.

MinnPost? Twenty.

So staffing up a local news web site with 50 people is daring, but when you’re Robert Allbritton you can afford it.

Politico owner Robert Allbritton will be launching a local website focused on D.C. news, The New Republic reports. At the helm: Jim Brady, former editor of Washingtonpost.com.

It’s “his most direct challenge to The Washington Post since launching Politico,” TNR says.

Politico, of course, was founded by two Post veterans, John Harris and Jim VandeHei, and recently, former Post editor Bill Hamilton joined Politico. Long-time intern Kendra Marr jumped to Politico earlier this year. And so on and so on.