WASHINGTON, D.C. — The NFL’s Washington Commanders have announced plans to develop a new football stadium in Washington, D.C., (“the District”), as well as a surrounding mixed-use destination. The team, which currently plays at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., has pledged to invest at least $2.7 billion into financing the project. The District has committed to a $500 million investment for the new stadium, which is expected to open in 2030.
The site spans 180 acres within the Robert Francis Kennedy (RFK) campus on the city’s east side. The Commanders, formerly known as the Redskins, are developing the new 65,000-seat stadium in partnership with the District, which recently gained control of the campus via the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act.
The legislation, which took effect in January, gave the District the ability to develop the campus for a mix of uses, lifting the restrictions that were in place under the previous lease. The legislation also required that 30 percent of the RFK campus be reserved for parks, trails and open space, not including a 32-acre riparian area along the Anacostia River.
As part of the larger development, the Commanders plan to bring a variety of commercial real estate uses to the area surrounding the new stadium. These uses will likely include retail, restaurants and entertainment venues, as well as hotels and housing. The latter component could ultimately encompass as many as campus 5,000 to 6,000 residential units, at least 30 percent of which would be designated as affordable housing.
In addition, the District plans to develop an $89 million “sportsplex” facility that will host year-round sporting events and tournaments for local youth sports leagues. Adjacent to the fields, park space and sportsplex, the District will develop a new Kingman Park District, which will include housing, mixed-use development and open and recreational spaces.
According to the development team, the activation of the RFK campus through this deal is expected to create approximately 14,000 jobs in connection to the stadium construction alone and 2,000 permanent jobs once fully operational. In addition, construction and operations of the stadium and surrounding development are anticipated to create approximately $4 billion in total tax revenue and yield more than $15.6 billion in direct spending over 30 years.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Commanders back home to the sports capital. We said that we could do it all — Commanders, housing, park space, recreation, retail, entertainment and more — and, together, that’s what we are delivering,” says D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. “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.”
“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,” adds Josh Harris, managing partner of the Commanders. “Now we have the opportunity to honor that legacy by building a new world-class stadium, one that is also a once-in-a-generation catalyst for uplifting and transforming our region. RFK was once a place our fans loved and that opponents feared, and we’re determined to make it that way again.”
The Commanders played at the old RFK Stadium for 35 seasons from 1961 to 1996. The team subsequently moved to FedEx Field, which originally opened in 1997 as Jack Kent Cooke Stadium (FedEx relinquished its sponsorship after the 2024 season). Harris, who is also the majority owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, led a group of investors that purchased the franchise in 2023 for roughly $6 billion.
— Taylor Williams