The D.C. Council has voted 9 to 3 to advance the RFK redevelopment project in its first of two votes on a deal that would bring the Commanders back to the District.
The D.C. Council has voted 9 to 3 to advance the RFK redevelopment project in its first of two votes on a deal that would bring the Washington Commanders back to the District.
The $3.7 billion dollar RFK redevelopment project will be put to a final vote in September.
Due to the nature of the deal, which includes tax abatements, a supermajority of the council — or eight council members — was needed to vote “yes” for things to move forward Friday.
Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen has been critical of the bill from the day it was presented, due in part to the more than $1 billion in taxpayer money that would be spent on the development.
Allen said changes to the bill motivated him to side with the majority to move the deal ahead.
Three council members cited concerns about the project’s impact on D.C. and voted against the legislation: At-Large Council member Robert White, Ward 1’s Brianne Nadeau and Ward 3’s Matthew Frumin.
The Commanders currently play at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, but aim to open a new venue in 2030.
The deal’s approval would complete a major goal for Mayor Muriel Bowser who has long advocated for the team’s return and negotiated the original plan with Commanders owner Josh Harris in April.
“The era of a crumbling sea of asphalt on the banks of the Anacostia is finally coming to an end,” Bowser wrote in an emailed statement. “With the Commanders as our partner, we will deliver jobs and opportunity when our city needs them most. And we will build a campus that makes our city proud for generations of Washingtonians to come.”
Council Chairman Phil Mendelson’s office recently estimated the redevelopment could generate $26.6 billion in tax revenue over 30 years. The district would contribute $1 billion toward the stadium project, while the team would fund the remaining $2.7 billion.
What concerns some council members
The vote on the RFK redevelopment project came after a marathon public hearing Tuesday, during which more than 140 people spoke to the council, some in support of the project, some against it, with others calling for significant changes to the terms of the deal.
During Friday’s meeting, White proposed several amendments, including an addition that would have created penalties for the team if it was late completing the development as promised.
White proposed the team pay $2 million each year the development goes beyond 2038. If the development isn’t finished by 2042, the city would reclaim the undeveloped land.
“The people of D.C. are offering valuable land and support,” White said. “This amendment makes sure we get something real in return, not just any vague plans or future excuses. Without this amendment, there’s no strong incentive for the team to finish the job.”
Mendelson pushed back on that assertion and said the potential profits incentivize the team to stay on track with finishing the project as well as a provision that would accelerate rent over unfinished work.
White’s idea was shot down, but several council members voiced similar concerns. Frumin said a lack of accountability in the deal was behind his decision to turn it down.
The plan passed by the council does offer methods to push back against the team if it were to delay the development — but those penalties wouldn’t kick in until the 2050s.
He presented several other amendments to the project Friday that were not passed by the council.
Those amendments attempted to address issues such as house stabilization to protect current residents in Ward 7 from being priced out of the area and environmental regulations to protect the Anacostia River.
He also proposed taxing personal seat licenses, a charge that gives a fan the right to purchase season tickets. The team told the council the money from those licenses would be matched by the team and go into a stadium fund, which is paying for the construction of the stadium.
What excites the council about RFK redevelopment
Several members of the council have expressed their support for the project, among them Ward 2’s Brooke Pinto, Ward 7’s Wendell Felder and At-Large Council members Anita Bonds and Kenyan McDuffie.
“This is a pivotal step toward developing the land at the RFK campus quickly and completely,” Mendelson said. “At the same time, I’m pleased that we were able to vastly improve the legislation from what was introduced, so that District residents will see more benefits.”
There were some changes made to the project from the original version proposed in April.
Before the vote, Mendelson listed out a few adjustments, some of which dealt with building in environmental protections to the project.
The latest legislation voted on also spelled out that the team would be responsible for any cost overruns related to parking garages or the stadium.
It also splits parking revenues from the stadium on nonevent days between the city and the Commanders.
McDuffie called it a “Big Beautiful Deal” and praised the project.
Ahead of the vote, council members advocated for stronger labor protections to be built into the project. It seemed like a deal between local labor unions and the Commanders quelled some of those concerns.
Leaders of local labor unions threw their support behind the project Friday morning, according to a news release from the unions announcing the deal.
Parker said it will require that 51% of the workers involved in the mixed-use development be District residents.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. WTOP’s Mike Murillo reported from the Wilson Building.
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