Bowser, Commanders to announce deal to bring team back to the District: Reports
The Washington Commanders and the District reportedly plan to announce a deal for a new stadium at the RFK site Monday morning.
Axios and The Washington Post are reporting that details of the deal will be revealed by Commanders owner Josh Harris and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bower at a news conference.
The deal would need to be approved by the D.C. Council.
RFK Stadium is currently in the process of being demolished — a lengthy project expected to take about 22 months.
Critics didn’t want a new stadium at the site, as WTOP’s Nick Iannelli reported. Locals have said they would rather see housing being built than another stadium.
“We envision a giant neighborhood in that area, that doesn’t exist currently, with maybe homes for 30,000 people,” said Adam Eidinger, one of the organizers of the “Homes Not Stadiums” effort.
Precisely what to do with the site has been up for the debate since the stadium closed in 2017.
RFK Stadium’s history
RFK Stadium was one of the most iconic sports venues in the District.
It has seen its fair share of history — from exhilarating moments in sports to unforgettable concerts and political events. It all started back in 1961, when the stadium opened its doors as a state-of-the-art sports complex.
It was originally called “D.C. Stadium,” then later renamed in honor of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy after his assassination in 1968.
For decades, RFK was the heartbeat of D.C. sports.
The team would play at the stadium from 1961 until they moved to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, by 1997.
But the departure never meant the stadium would go quiet — its walls would go on to echo with the sounds of soccer and baseball games.
It hosted the Washington Nationals when they moved to D.C. in 2005. Plus, the D.C. United soccer team made RFK its home for years, cementing the stadium as a key figure in the city’s sports identity.
RFK wasn’t just for sports, though.
The stadium hosted everything from concerts by legends like The Rolling Stones and U2 to historic political events like Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech at the March on Washington. It became a place where the energy of the city could be felt, no matter what the event was.
Though RFK’s last professional sporting event was held in 2017, the stadium’s legacy lives on.