Washington, DC - Today the Council of the District of Columbia approved a significant legislative package to bring the Commanders back to Washington, DC, and revitalize the existing Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Stadium campus, including mixed-use development with affordable housing. The economic multipliers of this deal cannot be understated.  

From the outset, I strongly believed this deal could and should be improved with respect to parking/transportation, labor protections, and additional revenue for the District. Together, along with my colleagues, the hundreds who testified, and the thousands who emailed – we've improved what is before us today.  

Transportation

The initial proposal of 8,000 parking spaces was too high given the stadium’s location in an urban city with prime metro accessibility. Sports and entertainment fans in the District are already “transit-first” oriented when attending events and any new venue infrastructure in this city should reflect that mindset. Our commitment from the Commanders going forward includes:  

• A reduction of the overall number of parking garages and spaces that will be built on the RFK campus prior to the opening of the stadium;

• The commitment to reorient the parking garages will not preclude WMATA from moving forward with an infill station at Oklahoma Ave and Benning Rd NE, should their study show it will be a value-add to the entire Metro system; and

• A $600 million Transportation Improvement Fund for Metro improvements to provide improvements for the existing Stadium Armory station and to contribute the District’s share should a new station be built.  

Labor Protections

The Council has created stronger labor protections within this deal by securing commitments for the Commanders to execute a project labor agreement for the stadium site and a portion of the mixed-used development. They have also agreed to a labor peace agreement for the operations of the stadium and the full-service hotels. This means good paying jobs for those working on the RFK campus during and post-construction.  

Additional Revenue

In terms of addressing additional revenues to the District – my approach was always about fairness with an eye towards what precedents we were setting. The Council was able to secure additional parking revenues from non-stadium event days to the tune of $170 million; $112 million in parking taxes; $54 million in sales taxes on merchandise sold inside the stadium; and $248 million in sales taxes on food and beverages for a total of $674 million over 30 years. This is more projected revenue than we had at the beginning of May. We’ve also secured a $50 million community benefits agreement and saved $55 million by restructuring the debt financing. Overall, an estimated $779 million in improvements have been secured since we started. This deal also includes increased environmental standards and protections, as well of pipeline of 6,000 new housing units.  

The District has a sluggish track record of progress on large economic development sites, proving this development would be difficult for us to do alone. The McMillian Sand Filtration Site which is 25 acres in Ward 5, was sold to DC by the federal government in 1987. The first new building on the property opened only last year. Reservation 13, a 67-acre property in Hill East adjacent to the RFK site, was transferred to DC by Congress in 2006. As of today, only 3 buildings have been built to-date on that site. History shows we need a partner, we need private investment, and we need an anchor for any of this to be successful.  

Today, we have the opportunity to accelerate the mixed-use development of the campus by 11 years according to the Council’s own economic impact analysis. This deal provides an opportunity to turnaround our track record and really deliver for not just residents who live immediately around the RFK site or commute every day down East Capitol Street to only see a rusting, dilapidated structure, but for every resident of the District. For all these reasons, I voted in support of the RFK proposal.

There are lots of people who worked on this effort, but I would be remiss to not thank my former boss Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) who called up the federal RFK land transfer bill at 1:14 in the morning on the last day of the 2024 congressional session. Without DC statehood, allyship and co-conspirators are important. And without their support and the support of other members of Congress, the District of Columbia would not have this opportunity to move forward today.