Congress’ last-minute appropriations saga took a more unexpected turn, with the Senate passing legislation to transfer administrative control of the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium campus to the District of Columbia. The move now puts the waterfront property up for grabs as a potential future home for the National Football League’s Washington Commanders.
Passed by unanimous consent in the closing hours of the 118th Congress on Dec. 21, the Senate measure essentially restored a provision of the original interim spending bill that had been removed amid misinformation amplified by President-elect Trump’s confidante, Elon Musk, who also authorized federal funds. to develop a new stadium on the site. Although this provision expressly prohibits any use of federal dollars for this project and any associated equipment installation, House negotiators nevertheless abandoned it in order to forge a workable compromise resolution, avoiding a partial shutdown of the federal government in a matter of hours.
The Senate resolution on the RFK site, passed after the House passed the continuing resolution, mirrors legislation previously passed by the House, giving the District control of the 174-acre site along the Anacostia River for 99 years . President Biden is expected to sign the measure, which allows for mixed-use development, including commercial, residential and a stadium.
The district-owned 47,000-seat RFK Stadium, the main feature of the waterfront site, was the football team’s home from 1961 until 1996, when then-owner Jack Kent Cook built a new facility gigantic stadium, now called Northwest Stadium, in suburban Landover, Maryland. With the use of the aging RFK Stadium falling at the pace of its deterioration in recent years, local leaders floated numerous recreational reuse concepts. for the site, all this required the approval of the National Parks Service. Earlier this year, the agency gave the go-ahead for the District to begin full demolition of the facility.
With commanders now considering a replacement for Northwest Stadium, district officials hope they can now offer an attractive site with fewer obstacles to privately financed development.
“As a city, we have worked for years to provide an opportunity to transform a sea of empty, deteriorating asphalt in the heart of DC and return the RFK campus to productive use,” said the mayor of Washington, DC. Muriel Bowser, who has long sought the team’s return to the District.
While not committed to the team’s relocation plans, managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement that the bill transferring control to the district creates “a level playing field because all potential future locations for in the home of the Washington Commanders can be fairly considered and give our franchise the opportunity to provide the best experience for all of our fans.”
Harris has previously said the team wants to leave Northwest Stadium within three years after its current lease expires in 2027. Long criticized its lack of convenient access to the Metrorail system of the Washington, DC area, the facility has undergone a series of infrastructure upgrades. problems in recent years, including leaking water pipes in the living area and irrigation system failures.
While the Chiefs haven’t ruled out building a new stadium adjacent to their current home, the team has pledged to rebuild the 200-acre Landover site at its own expense if a move does happen. A memorandum of understanding signed recently by Chiefs officials and Gov. Wes Moore (D) calls for the team to demolish and clean up the existing stadium within 90 days of the NFL’s first game in a new permanent home. Commanders must also work with state, local and other agencies to “transform the stadium site into a vibrant mixed-use development.”
