Is the RFK Stadium site finally moving toward a full-blown makeover?
Is the RFK Stadium site finally moving toward a full-blown makeover?
Last week, the chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability—which oversees lots of DC stuff—introduced legislation that would permit the federally-owned, 190-acre site to be revamped with new housing, parks, stores, and maybe even a replacement for its soon-to-be-demolished sports stadium. Coming on the heels of the widely-disliked Dan Snyder selling the Washington Commanders to a group led by Chevy Chase native Josh Harris, the time could soon be ripe for the city to invest in the area.
So what’s the state of play, and where do things go from here? Glad you asked:
How did we get here?
Opened in 1961, RFK Stadium was abandoned by its final sports tenant, DC United, in 2017. Sitting on federal land designated for “sports and recreation” use, the stadium has mostly sat empty since, with the city unable to move forward with any serious redevelopment plans.
Over the years, city officials have flirted with bringing the Commanders—who moved to FedEx Field in 1996, the better to cash in on more seats and luxury boxes—back to the District. Former Mayor Adrian Fenty tried and failed to lure the team in 2009 with vague promises of replacing RFK with a domed stadium. Former Mayor and Ward 7 DC Council member Vince Gray looked into moving the Commanders’ practice facility from Virginia to the east of Capitol Hill in 2012. And Mayor Muriel Bowser has continued to court the franchise.
Snyder was somewhat receptive to those advances. However, his general mismanagement of the Commanders—including serious, substantiated allegations of sexual harassment and financial misconduct—poisoned any prospect of a return, given that a new stadium almost certainly would require a significant amount of public money. Local legislators also have been more interested in funding education and housing.
Harris taking over for Snyder may change that dynamic, especially with the team’s lease at FedEx Field ending in 2027.