The Council of the District of Columbia approved a $3.7 billion deal to bring the Washington Commanders back to the city.
The council voted 11-2 to approve the RFK Development Act, which will bring redevelopment to the abandoned RFK Stadium campus and surrounding neighborhoods. Plans include a 65,000-seat domed stadium, parks, restaurants, bars, housing, and possible increased support for transit.
The district will contribute more than $1 billion in taxpayer funds and additional foregone revenue in tax breaks and other incentives for the Commanders to return to the district. The Commanders will, in turn, invest $2.7 billion to build the stadium, marking the single largest private investment in the district in its history.
“I am incredibly excited that with the passage of these bills, the District will finally be able to welcome the Washington Commanders back home,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a press release ahead of the vote.
When broken down, Washington will pay $500 million for stadium infrastructure, $350 million for parking garages, and $202 million for utilities and to conduct a transit study. The district will also fund a youth sports facility, including an indoor track and cheerleading space.
Bowser, Commanders owner Josh Harris, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the deal in April.
There has been much debate and back and forth with the council about the specific terms of the deal. There were some significant changes to the original proposal, including guarantees for additional union jobs and financing adjustments to bring back millions in revenue for the city.
The council took its first of two votes on the deal last month, with the stadium being approved by a 9-3 vote. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson had originally opposed using funds from the district for the project, but came around to it, saying the council was able to “vastly improve” upon what was first introduced.
The council voted down possible last-minute changes to the deal that the Commanders opposed, including stricter environmental building standards and more protection for historic trees on the site.
Commanders President Mark Clouse sent a letter, reported by NBC Washington, to the council expressing concern about some proposed amendments that he called “unworkable and impractical new last-minute demands.”
During the final vote, Mendelson emphasized that the Commanders would build the stadium according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards and invest $50 million over 30 years in community benefits for local neighborhoods around the stadium. Councilmembers also debated the ramifications of the possible displacement of local residents.
LOCAL JOBS, METRO STATIONS, CONCERTS: DC RESIDENTS MAKE DEMANDS FOR RFK STADIUM DEAL
The Washington franchise has been playing in Landover, Maryland, for the last three decades. The Commanders have no plans to relocate their corporate office in College Park, Maryland, nor their training facility in Ashburn, Virginia.
Groundbreaking on the new stadium is expected to happen next year. It is expected to be completed by 2030 under the current deal. The city hopes to use the stadium when it hosts the Women’s World Cup in 2031.
