Commanders Reach Multibillion Dollar Deal to Revitalize RFK Stadium

The team will spend $2.7 billion on the stadium and immediate surroundings, while D.C. will spend $1 billion on residential areas nearby.

Robert F. Kennedy Stadium on Dec. 22, 2024, in Washington. Tom Brenner/Getty Images

Football will soon be returning to Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Washington Commanders announced plans to build a new sports complex on the site of RFK Stadium in southeast D.C. The team will spend some $2.7 billion developing the stadium itself, while the city will contribute more than $1 billion to furnish parking and transportation facilities. The new stadium marks a return to the nation’s capital for the Commanders: The then-Washington Redskins played at RFK from 1961-1996, and have played in the Maryland suburb of Landover since.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Commanders back home to the Sports Capital,” Bowser said in a statement on the mayor’s website. “When we got control of 180 acres of land on the banks of the Anacostia, we knew right away that partnering with the Commanders would be the fastest and surest route to bringing the RFK campus to life. As we focus on the growth of our economy, we’re not only bringing our team home, but we’re also bringing new jobs and new revenue to our city and to Ward 7.”

“Today is a defining moment for the [District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia] and the Washington Commanders,“ the team’s managing partner, Josh Harris, added. ”RFK Stadium holds a legendary place in our history —it’s where the team dominated the NFL, capturing three Super Bowls and creating unforgettable memories for fans. Now, we have the opportunity to honor that legacy by building a new world-class stadium.”

According to the terms of the deal, via the mayor’s website, the Commanders will spend some $2.7 billion to build a new roofed stadium, with a seating capacity of about 65,000. The city will contribute $1.058 billion for infrastructure in and around the stadium, including $500 million for stadium costs; $175 million for parking development; $181 million from Events DC, the city’s sports and entertainment authority, for additional parking facilities that it will own; and $202 million for utilities, roadways, and transit. The stadium will break ground in 2026, and is expected to open by 2030.

Since the stadium is roofed, it will host events throughout the year.

The city and team will split the cost of developing the area surrounding the stadium. An infographic shared during a press conference Monday showed that the team will develop the Stadium District, which houses the stadium itself; the Plaza District next to the stadium that will be home to hotels, retail shops and restaurants; and the Riverfront District, which will have more amenities. The city will develop two residential areas: Kingman Park and Anacostia Commons. The city will also develop a recreation district nearby, home to an $89 million sports complex that will host events year-round.

The city projects 14,000 jobs to be created from construction and at least 2,000 permanent jobs. The development is projected to create more than $4 billion in tax revenue and some $15.6 billion in economic activity. The entire 180-acre area is expected to have 5,000-6,000 new housing units, with about 30 percent affordable housing.

The new stadium is the culmination of a years-long process. In 2019, Events DC announced plans to demolish RFK Stadium by 2021. Initial work did not begin until 2022. Demolition of the actual structure began in January.

The federal government also had a hand in the process. Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) introduced the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act in July 2023 to restore jurisdiction over the RFK campus to the city for the next 99 years. The bill overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives, 348–55, in February 2024. It passed the Senate by voice vote in December 2024. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law in January 2025.

The Washington Redskins played at RFK for 35 years, from 1961-1996. The stadium hosted five NFC Championship Games: 1972, 1982, 1983, 1987, and 1991; all of which the Redskins won. The Redskins went on to win three Super Bowls: XVII in 1983, XXII in  1988, and XXVI in 1992. In 1997, the team moved to a new stadium in Landover, an unincorporated community in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The stadium is currently known as Northwest Stadium.

The Redskins were renamed the Commanders in 2022.

During the press conference, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was asked if the new stadium would increase the chances of D.C. hosting a future Super Bowl.

“Well I didn’t come here to announce that, but I would say dramatically,” he said.