New Commanders Stadium, also called New RFK Stadium, is the project name for an indoor multi-purpose stadium planned for construction in Washington, D.C., U.S. It will serve as the home venue of the National Football League (NFL)'s Washington Commanders and host other sports and large-scale events. The stadium will replace the former RFK Stadium—home of the Commanders from 1961 to 1996—on the same site along the Anacostia River in the city's Hill East neighborhood.
New Commanders Stadium will have a seating capacity of 65,000 and a translucent roof providing sunlight and climate control. Projected to cost US$3.7billion, the stadium ranks among the most expensive globally. It will be owned by the District of Columbia and operated by the Commanders, with planned adjacent residential, retail, and dining development. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with completion expected in 2030.
The land had been managed by the National Park Service since the District of Columbia Stadium Act of 1957 (H.R. 1937). On July 27, 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act (H.R. 4984), which proposed transferring control to the D.C. government through a 99-year lease and permitting mixed-use development. The act was passed by the House on February 28, 2024,[7] by the Senate on December 21,[8] and signed into law by president Joe Biden on January 6, 2025.[9] On April 28, 2025, D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and Commanders owner Josh Harris held a press conference at the National Press Club announcing a new stadium to replace RFK at the site.[10][11] In July, U.S. president Donald Trump proposed blocking the deal unless the Commanders returned to the Redskins branding.[12] The project was tentatively approved by the D.C. Council on August 1, 2025, with a second vote on September 17 passing it 11–2.[5]Groundbreaking for infrastructure is scheduled to begin in 2026, with construction of the stadium expected to start in the first half of 2027 and opening planned for 2030.[13]
Financing
New Commanders Stadium is projected to cost US$3.7billion, ranking it among the most expensive stadiums globally.[13] It will be financed through a public–private partnership between the Commanders and the D.C. government, with the stadium owned by the District and operated by the Commanders.[14][15] The Commanders are slated to contribute $2.7billion and any cost overrun, with the District spending $500million on infrastructure such as new roads by way of the Sports Facilities Fee, $356million on two parking garages by way of bonds, and $202million on public utilities by way of general taxes.[13][16] The Sports Facilities Fee will also be used for a $600million Washington Metro fund to reduce traffic congestion and reliance on parking in the area, with the District planning for additional Metrobus stops, an expansion of Stadium–Armory station, and potentially a new station on Benning Road.[13][17] The stadium will make use of personal seat licenses (PSL).[18] Revenue from ticket and parking sales will go to the Commanders, with the District anticipating collecting over $5 billion in revenue over 30 years from sales taxes on stadium concessions and commercial property taxes on its campus.[13][19][20]
New Commanders Stadium will anchor about 180 acres (0.73km2) of adjacent mixed-use development with housing, dining, retail, hotels, and offices, modeled after stadium-centered developments such as Ballpark Village, The Battery Atlanta, and Hollywood Park.[13][16] The Commanders are to oversee the Plaza and Riverfront districts.[13] The District's Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) will manage the Recreation district, adding a $89million indoor track and gymnasium to the existing Fields at RFK recreation center,[23] the Kingman Park district, which will expand upon the bordering Kingman Park residential neighborhood, and the Anacostia Commons district, an environmentally protected space containing part of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail and planned additional access points to Kingman and Heritage Island, an amphitheater, and an environmental education center.[13] Around 6,000 residences are expected to be built across the Plaza, Riverfront, Kingman Park districts, with 30% reserved as affordable.[28] A third of the stadium's campus will be dedicated to green space, with care for native heritage trees being undertaken during construction.[29] Due to rolling zoning approval, the majority of district construction will commence following the stadium's completion, with the Commanders expecting the project's full completion by 2040.[13][28]
↑ O'Gorek, Elizabeth (February 14, 2025). "Mayor: NFL Stadium Fastest Route to RFK Development". Hill Rag. Archived from the original on February 16, 2025. Retrieved October 7, 2025. The charge that we would give any architect that works with us is that this stadium will be on the monumental axis in the nation's capital that's built on the L'Enfant Plan
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