The D.C. Council approved legislation for a new Washington Commanders stadium and mixed-use development at the old RFK Stadium site.
The Council voted 11-2 in favor of the $3.7 billion deal, with Councilmembers Brianne Nadeau and Robert White voting against it. The Council needed seven votes in favor to pass the legislation on its second and final vote.
The vote followed a day of some uncertainty after the Commanders sent a letter to councilmembers Wednesday morning warning some changes to the deal being considered by the Council could be a deal breaker.
Council Chairman Phil Mendelson went back and forth with team officials to gauge their reception to the proposed changes.
“I think the team is not used to the legislative process, which is where councilmembers who are used to submitting amendments at the last minute submit amendments at the last minute,” he said.
The hearing started about three hours late Wednesday evening in a room packed with citizens and reporters. When the Council voted, most of the proposed amendments were rejected, The Associated Press reported.
The last-minute amendments included doubling the amount of money the team wanted to put in the community development fund and strict penalties on the team for missing certain deadlines after the stadium is complete. While there’s no concern for the team getting the stadium built as fast as possible, the mixed-use plans surrounding it – like grocery stores and affordable housing – that would come in the years and decades after the stadium opens is where the city expects to make most of its revenue. It also includes a written commitment to preserve heritage trees and aim for zero waste at the stadium.
But the team told Mendelson such restrictions would make it very hard for them to get long-term funding for some deals.
“There are other amendments being offered today that are really internal to the District – don’t affect the Commanders – but there were others that were talked about,” Mendelson said. “And that’s what had the team very frustrated. I think we’ve worked things out.”
The bill goes to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who negotiated the deal with Commanders principal owner Josh Harris.
“This is the final step in securing our future at the new RFK Stadium,” Bowser, a Democrat, said on social media following the vote. “Our businesses, our people, our project. Now, let’s get to work.”
The Commanders also considered locations in Maryland and Virginia before choosing the RFK Stadium campus, where the team played from 1961-1996 as it won three Super Bowl championships. The team moved its home games to Landover, Maryland, where it currently plays at Northwest Stadium.
The Commanders hope to start playing in a new D.C. stadium in 2030. Demolition – or deconstruction – of RFK Stadium already is in progress.
Bowser negotiated an initial plan with the Commanders in April, with the team contributing $2.7 billion and the city investing roughly $1.1 billion for the stadium, housing, green space and a sportsplex on land bordering the Anacostia River.
“Today is a historic day for D.C., the Commanders organization, and our fans. With the Council’s approval, we can now move forward on the transformative RFK project that will bring lasting economic growth for our city,” Harris said. “This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and collaboration between Mayor Bowser, Chairman (Phil) Mendelson, the Council and the countless community, business and labor leaders whose voices and input helped shape the process every step of the way.”
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