A vacant sports stadium in Washington, D.C., is one step closer to becoming the new home of the Washington Commanders football team and the site for additional commercial and residential development. But the countdown clock is ticking.
While the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted 17-2 in the past week to advance legislation that would transfer use of the site that hosts RFK Stadium from the federal government to the District, the bill must move to the Senate floor for consideration before the session ends in less than a month. The measure passed the House with bipartisan support early this year.
Advocates are hopeful the full Senate will approve the legislation before the current session ends next month and that President Biden signs it into law before leaving office in January — a move they say could lessen the chances of maneuvering between officials in the team's current site of Maryland or nearby Virginia. The issue is also drawing attention in real estate circles as part of a trend of new sports arenas that include nearby commercial development.
The legislation would result in the transfer of administrative jurisdiction of the roughly 174-acre Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium campus from the National Park Service to the District at no cost. The committee vote gave substantial hope to Commanders executives and D.C. officials who have been working for years to get the NFL team back in the nation's capital and into a new stadium at the RFK site. That's a process that would take several more years.
“I think for the capital city of the United States of America, it’s only befitting that we do this,” West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said during the committee meeting.
Approval ultimately could result in the development of a mixed-use project anchored by a stadium that could be a potential site for a Super Bowl and other major sporting events. The bill would empower Washington to create a new plan for the parcel that could also include other uses such as parks.
RFK also would become the nation's latest abandoned stadium site to be considered for development across the country as professional sports teams move to new venues that include amenities and suites to produce additional revenue. This month in Houston, the Astrodome Conservancy unveiled what it called Vision: Astrodome, a redevelopment plan to reimagine the Astrodome that has sat vacant for more than 15 years.
The Vision: Astrodome concept centers on erecting four buildings inside the Astrodome "featuring flexible arena space for events and entertainment at its center, surrounded by restaurants, retail, office and commercial, hospitality and cultural spaces," according to the conservancy, a nonprofit group advocating for new uses at Astrodome.
Befitting nation's capital
As for RFK Stadium, the original arena opened as District of Columbia Stadium 63 years ago and was one of the first U.S. stadiums designed for both football and baseball.
The Washington Redskins, now called the Commanders, played their home games at RFK for 36 years, until the team moved to what now is known as Northwest Stadium in suburban Maryland. RFK was home to MLB's Washington Nationals from 2005 to 2007.
Located east of the Capitol and near the west bank of the Anacostia River, the sports complex once home to the National Football League team has fallen into disrepair and has not been used in years.
While the federal government would continue to own the land, Washington could have the new authority for 99 years and could renew for subsequent periods under the legislation’s current language. It would also need to maintain at least 30% of the campus as parks and open space.
Mayor Muriel Bowser described the vote in a statement as a “pivotal moment” in hopes of transforming the space into “a vibrant hub of affordable housing, world-class recreational facilities, green spaces and economic opportunity for District residents and visitors alike."
Rep. James Comer, the Kentucky Republican who introduced the bill in Congress, said this year that “absent congressional action, this land in our nation’s capital will remain unused with ongoing maintenance costs and environmental liabilities remaining the full responsibility of the National Park Service — an ongoing burden for the American taxpayer.”
Opposition from Maryland
But the recent legislation has still faced opposition by several lawmakers and officials. None of the eight House representatives from Maryland, home to the Commanders current stadium, voted for the bill this year. Maryland Governor Wes Moore also continues to make the case the Commanders should keep their stadium where it is.
“While we know the team is exploring options in D.C., we are confident that Landover is the right choice and will provide the best, and fastest, path to a new stadium,” a spokesperson for the governor told CoStar News in a statement.
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen said in a statement to CoStar that his priority is not to block the transfer of the RFK property, “but to ensure a fair process in the selection of a Commanders stadium site and prevent actions that unfairly tilt the scales in favor of one location over another at the expense of federal taxpayers.”
While Montana Sen. Steve Daines previously expressed disapproval of the legislation, in connection with the team’s decision in 2020 to retire its old logo, he decided to drop his opposition and vote in favor of it.
The team moved to Maryland in the late 1990s.
“The Commanders have been fortunate to have interest from three incredible jurisdictions as we search for a new home and stadium,” a Commanders spokesperson told CoStar News, adding there are continuing conversations with D.C., Maryland and Virginia on the potential future home for the franchise.
Generating billions
In June, the District awarded a $565,000 contract to an advisory firm “to study the feasibility of redeveloping the RFK site” and “relocate the Washington Commanders to the stadium site.”
That same month, the city released a report outlining the actual and potential fiscal, economic and community effects of professional sports in the District. It found that sports are a significant part of the District’s economy, generating $5 billion in 2022 and attracting 7.4 million visitors in 2023, with 88% being non-Washingtonians.
Brokerage JLL and consulting firm Robert Bobb Group that produced the study, also concluded that hosting an NFL franchise in Washington would annually produce an estimated $1.26 billion in economic revenue, 2,095 jobs, nearly $290 million in labor income and $26 million in tax revenue.
“Some of my earliest memories were of Washington football, and walking into RFK,” the Commanders' managing partner Josh Harris said during a press conference in August. “So, I'm incredibly motivated to bring it back.”
Fans agree. A Washington Post-Schar School poll in April found that Washington area residents prefer the Commanders’ next stadium be built in D.C. proper.
Beatles to baseball
Groundbreaking began in 1960 on the $24 million multipurpose arena, originally known as District of Columbia Stadium. It was designed by George Dahl, Ewin Engineering Associates and Osborn Engineering.
The stadium opened its doors for its first official event in 1961 and went on to host numerous sports and entertainment spectacles, from professional football, soccer and baseball games to the Beatles’ penultimate concert.
It was renamed in 1969 for Robert Kennedy, the U.S. senator and presidential candidate who was assassinated the year before.
In 1988, the District entered a 50-year ground lease for the stadium land, according to the National Park Service. The federal agency acquired the land in the late 1950s, and the group Events DC is currently responsible for the venue’s operation and management. The Nationals left RFK for Nationals Park in 2008.
In May, the National Park Service announced it completed an environmental assessment and confirmed the stadium could be demolished as it had not been used since 2019.