Congress eyes massive makeover for RFK Stadium site, sparks dreams of Commanders moving back inside

A House committee on Tuesday explored plans to redevelop Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, a makeover that could temp the Commanders to return to the site.

Delano Hunter, acting director of the D.C. Department of General Services, told lawmakers that new legislation to redo the stadium “has the potential to transform and expand recreation in our city for generations to come.”

“To many, the RFK site is synonymous with the glory years of the Washington football franchise now known as the Commanders,” he said. “It was also home of the Washington Senators and enabled the return of Major League Baseball to the district with the Washington Nationals. D.C. United also called the site home during the early years and it was there that they won multiple Major League Soccer titles.”

The redevelopment plans got a boost from a change in ownership of the Commanders that has excited fans, as well as the team making its first 2-0 start in a decade.

Getting the team back inside the city, however, would also require beating out Maryland and Virginia in a fierce competition to be the Commander’s new home.

Mr. Hunter said that, beyond professional sports, RFK Stadium had hosted high school and college athletic competitions over the years, but now it just sits in disrepair.

“We also see the potential for economic development which could include housing and professional sports,” he said.

Potential improvements to the complex, which is located in the city’s southeast quadrant on the banks of the Anacostia River, include amenities such as an Olympic swimming pool, gymnastics training facility, indoor track and multi-purpose field, boxing training facility, health and fitness club and more.

The D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Revitalization Act would allow the area to undergo construction that could include the development of a new stadium, housing, and recreational or commercial facilities. It would also call for the transfer of the administrative jurisdiction to the Administrator of General Services from the Secretary of the Interior.

The legislation was first introduced in July by Rep. James Comer, Kentucky Republican, and it has received bipartisan support from co-sponsor Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District’s non-voting member in the House.

The bill would extend the lease on the 190-acre site, which is currently set to expire in 2038, up to 99 years. The possible upgrades do not guarantee that a stadium would be built or that the Commanders would call it home. The team’s new owner, Josh Harris, will be examining proposals from Maryland and Virginia.

The team currently plays at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, with their lease set to expire in 2027, but the idea of a new stadium could entice Mr. Harris to choose the District as the team’s new destination. A new city could mean a new start for the team after their recent separation from disgraced former owner Dan Snyder.

Mayor Muriel E. Bowser has said that she wants to turn the site into a Commander’s stadium and a mixed-use development.
At the hearing in front of the House Natural Resources subcommittee on federal lands, lawmakers and federal officials stressed the need to make sure the redevelopment plans protected open space and parkland.

Mike Reynolds, deputy director of the National Park Service, said the department supports the goals of the bill but their “principal interest” is safeguarding the recreational areas, such as the Anacostia River and the Anacostia River Trail.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, the top Democrat on the committee, said a new stadium complex must maintain 30% of the land that is designated for open space.

“The stadium is located in the prime location in the heart of Washington,” Mr. Grijalva said. “The land could help address many of the city’s needs including increasing the stock of available and affordable housing and securing access to open space. Achieving the right balance here is key.”

He also said the new site should maintain its tribute to the late Robert F. Kennedy.