The D.C. Council voted to approve development of the RFK Stadium site, which is the first step toward the Washington Commanders building a new stadium in the city.
A second reading of the proposal to redevelop the RFK stadium campus and subsequent vote on the project will occur on Sept. 17. If the plan passes that second vote, it would then go to D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser for approval, according to Sports Business Journal.
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Bowser has advocated for a new stadium for the Commanders for 10 years, so her endorsement is expected. The intention is to have the stadium ready for the 2030 NFL season.
The $3.7 billion deal would lead to the building of a covered-roof stadium that seats approximately 65,000 for Commanders game. The project also includes mixed-use commercial development, green space and parking surrounding the stadium. Under the proposal, the Commanders would cover roughly $2.5 billion of the project’s cost, while the district would pay the remaining $1.15 billion.
Demolition of Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Memorial Stadium in Washington D.C. began in 2025 and a new stadium and surrounding development is expected to be built on the site. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
(Kevin Carter via Getty Images)
Calling for D.C. taxpayers to cover more than $1 billion of the development’s cost has stoked contentious debate among citizens and local politicians, while Bowser has argued that a new stadium and surrounding development would provide economic opportunity for the district.
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New stadium projects in Nashville and Buffalo called for $1.26 billion and $850 million in public funding, respectively.
The RFK deal has undergone several changes since originally proposed in April, including the Commanders covering cost overruns that are expected to occur with tariffs increasing the cost of supplies in the world economy. The team also reached agreements with local labor unions to work on the development, which was a key factor in the D.C. Council passing the first vote. Additionally, the Commanders committed to moving their business offices back to the city from Maryland.
Previously, President Trump threatened to block the Commanders’ stadium deal and move back to D.C. if the team did not agree to change its name back to the Redskins, which it moved on from in 2020.
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The Commanders previously played at the original RFK Stadium from 1961-96 before moving to Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. Opened in 1961, the stadium hosted NFL games, college football, MLS games and Major League Baseball. The last event to be held in the stadium was an MLS match between D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls.
