New Commanders Stadium

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New Commanders Stadium
New RFK Stadium
New Commanders Stadium concept (cropped).jpg
Conceptual rendering
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New Commanders Stadium
Location in Washington, D.C.
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New Commanders Stadium
Located in northeastern United States
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New Commanders Stadium
Location in the contiguous United States
Address2400 East Capitol Street SE
Location Washington, D.C., U.S.
Coordinates 38°53′24″N76°58′19″W / 38.89000°N 76.97194°W / 38.89000; -76.97194
Public transit
Owner Events DC (District of Columbia)
Operator Washington Commanders
Type Multi-purpose stadium
Genre(s)
  • Sporting events
  • concerts
Capacity 65,000
Acreage 180 acres (73 ha)
SurfaceTBD
RoofTranslucent
Construction
Broke ground 2026 (planned)
Opened2030 (planned)
Construction cost
  • $2.7 billion (stadium)
  • $1 billion (campus)
ArchitectTBD
Tenants
Washington Commanders (NFL) (c. 2030)
Website
OurRFK.DC.gov

New Commanders Stadium is a planned indoor multi-purpose stadium to be constructed in Washington, D.C. Announced in 2025, it is expected to have a capacity of 65,000 and will serve as the home venue of the National Football League (NFL)'s Washington Commanders. It will be built on the site of the former RFK Stadium, the team's previous home venue from 1961 to 1996, along East Capitol Street near the Anacostia River in the city's Hill East neighborhood. New Commanders Stadium is set to cost $2.7 billion with an additional $1 billion in campus infrastructure including shops, restaurants, lodging, and other amenities. Groundbreaking is planned to begin in 2026 with completion expected in 2030.

Contents

History

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The former RFK Stadium site in Washington, D.C., where New Commanders Stadium will be built

Since 2012, the National Football League (NFL) team Washington Commanders, then known as the Washington Redskins, had been looking to build a new stadium on the site of the former RFK Stadium to replace their current home venue of Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. [1] The team played its home games at RFK Stadium from its opening in 1961 to 1996, with it sitting vacant since the Major League Soccer club D.C. United left for Audi Field in 2018. Partial demolition of the stadium began in 2023. [2] Other locations for a new stadium considered by the Commanders included Oxon Cove Park in Maryland and Sterling, Dumfries, and Woodbridge in Virginia. [3] [4] [5]

On January 6, 2025, U.S. president Joe Biden signed the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act (H.R. 4984) into law, transferring control of 180 acres of land surrounding the stadium, located about 2 miles (3 km) east of the U.S. Capitol building on East Capitol Street near the Whitney Young Memorial Bridge on the west bank of the Anacostia River, from the federal government to the city government through a 99-year lease. [6] On April 28, 2025, D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris held a press conference announcing plans to build a 65,000-seat covered-roof stadium on the former RFK Stadium site. [7] [8] On July 20, 2025, U.S. president Donald Trump suggested he would block the deal unless the Commanders returned to the Redskins branding. [9] [10] The proposal was tentatively approved by the D.C. Council on August 1, 2025, with a second vote to finalize the deal scheduled for September 17. [11]

Design and construction

The project is set to cost a total of $3.7 billion, with $2.7 billion being contributed by the Commanders for the stadium, the largest private investment in D.C.'s history. [7] [8] The District will invest an additional $1 billion for campus redevelopment and infrastructure such as new roads, parking garages, hotels, shops and restaurants, parks, an additional Kingman Park residential district, and an indoor track and gymnastics sportsplex. [7] [8] New Commanders Stadium is planned to have a translucent covered roof, with the goal of able to host Super Bowls and other events like the FIFA World Cup and WrestleMania. [12] Groundbreaking is scheduled for 2026 following RFK Stadium's demolition, with completion expected in 2030. [7] [13] Architects and construction firms are to be determined at a future date. [7]

New Commanders Stadium will be owned by the government of the District of Columbia through their sports and entertainment authority Events DC and operated by the Commanders. [12] [14] In addition to its main use for Commanders games and other sports, the stadium will attempt to host a minimum of 200 other events annually such as music concerts and graduations. [12] The Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) as an additional tenant was also suggested as a possibility. [12] The Commanders will retain their corporate headquarters in College Park, Maryland, and training facility in Ashburn, Virginia. [7] It is unknown if Northwest Federal Credit Union, who sponsors their current home venue, will retain naming rights. [7]

References

  1. ↑ O'Connell, Jonathan; Heath, Thomas (August 29, 2014). "Redskins, Olympic backers both eye new stadium at RFK". The Washington Post . Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  2. ↑ Flynn, Meagan (May 2, 2024). "RFK Stadium officially set to be demolished". The Washington Post .
  3. ↑ Broom, Scott (December 10, 2018). "The possible Redskins stadium site you've never heard of". WUSA9 . Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  4. ↑ Jhabvala, Nicki; Vozzella, Laura (February 25, 2022). "Commanders eye three possible sites in Virginia for new stadium, entertainment complex". The Washington Post . Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  5. ↑ Keim, John (May 23, 2022). "Source: Washington Commanders spend $100 million on land in Virginia for possible stadium". ESPN. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  6. ↑ Whyno, Stephen (January 6, 2025). "Biden signs RFK Stadium land bill into law, a step toward potential Commanders stadium in Washington". AP News. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Flynn, Meagan; Fortier, Sam; Jhabvala (April 28, 2025). "D.C., Commanders announce $3.7B deal to move team to RFK Stadium site". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 Keim, John (April 27, 2025). "Commanders, D.C. reach deal for new $4B stadium at RFK site". ESPN. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  9. ↑ Stein, Rob (July 20, 2025). "Trump threatens to derail Washington Commanders' new stadium deal over team name". NPR. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  10. ↑ Zeglinski, Robert (July 20, 2025). "Can Trump actually block Commanders' stadium over name change threats?". For the Win. USA Today . Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  11. ↑ Keim, John (August 1, 2025). "D.C. Council approves Commanders stadium deal, return to district". ESPN . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Jhabvala, Nicki; Maske, Mark (April 28, 2025). "Commanders' stadium plans could put D.C. in the Super Bowl mix". The Washington Post . Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  13. ↑ "What's next for the RFK Stadium demolition". WTOP . February 6, 2025. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Term Sheet For the Redevelopment of a Portion of the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium Campus" (PDF). documentcloud.org. April 28, 2025. p. 8. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
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