Story By: Erin Zollars
Photos By: Hal Jack
Washington, D.C–
For any of us that have grown up around the Washington, D.C area, the idea of a new stadium within the confines of the city have just been a pipe dream… that was until today, when Mayor Bowser and the Washington Commanders unveiled their $3 Billion dollar stadium complex on the site of the former RFK Stadium scheduled to debut for the 2030 season.
The total project will cost $3.6 billion, with the team putting up most of the money: $2.7 billion, the single largest private investment in DC history, according to Bowser and Harris, which will cover vertical construction. But Bowser is looking for DC taxpayers to pay for the remainder—close to $1 billion over the next several years. Of that sum, $500 million would cover so-called “horizontal” construction, and the rest—some generated by expected stadium revenue—will pay for road and parking facilities, and a new youth-oriented recreation complex. The DC councilmembers who have already voiced opposition to the new stadium will certainly have questions about this prodigal use of public funds.
The deal to bring the Commanders back to DC has been a signature goal of Bowser for years now. She has missed out on several major events in D.C and now wants the District to be known as a “Sports Capital” by returning the team from Maryland, where it has played since 1997 in City that was once known as Raljon.
The billion-dollar deal comes months after months of negotiations since Congress gave DC permission to use the federally owned 180-acre parcel of land surrounding RFK last December and still needs to be approved by 7 members of the D.C Council before the deal can be formally done and complete. If the deal is approved, they are shooting for a 2026 groundbreaking on the new complex which Bowser compares to the now vibrant Navy Yard area that the Washington Nationals brought when they moved from RFK in 2008.
Everyone is asking is this the right time to commit nearly a billion dollars to a football stadium? Bowser certainly thinks so. “Right now, as our economy is shifting, it’s something the city really needs,” she said. “Our job is to replace economic activity for 40,000 people. If we don’t make some change, they may not have their jobs. If we don’t make some change, they may not live here.”
