The Washington Commanders have played in the same stadium for nearly 30 years. Currently named Northwest Stadium, it was known as FedEx Stadium from 1999 to 2023. Before this stadium was built, the Commanders played at RFK Stadium in the heart of Washington, D.C. With their current stadium aging, the team and the District of Columbia have been working on a deal to bring the team back to the site of the old RFK Stadium.
It’s been an uphill battle despite D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s support of the issue. The City Council has sought to separate the RFK Stadium redevelopment from the annual budget, viewing it as a singular issue. However, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson said that was never going to happen. The original vote was scheduled for July 15, but the two sides have revised the deal, and the vote will now take place on August 1.
“We feel we have a much-improved agreement that would bring the team back to their historical home, as well as develop the land around the RFK campus,” Mendelson said.
The stadium is expected to cost $3.7 billion and generate $414 million in revenue for D.C. over a 30-year period, plus an additional $260 million in revenue from non-stadium event day parking.
Mendelson said the revised agreement will generate up to $949 million in benefits to the city over the term of the lease. This will come from taxes on parking, merchandise, and food, which will be allocated to the city’s general fund. Meanwhile, the Commanders will retain taxes generated from ticket sales to support stadium maintenance.
They’ve also added a fund for transportation improvement. This fund will pay for any “Metro and highway enhancements” needed for the stadium, and could also fund a second Metro station to help managed increased traffic volume.
For community development, the Commanders will allocate $50 million to support youth sports programs and retail initiatives.
The team and the Mayor want the stadium to open in 2030, so the sooner the two sides can agree on a deal, the sooner construction can start. After the August 1 vote, a second vote is scheduled for September 17. As legislation continues over the next few days, we’ll gain a better understanding of how close the two sides are to making this happen.
