Returning Commanders Structure Theircomeback in Washington D.C.
The Washington Commanders will officially return to Washington, D.C. with the construction of a new stadium at the historic RFK Stadium site. This announcement was made by the team and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on April 28, 2025, in a social media video narrated by Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Theismann.
The new stadium will be built on the old RFK Stadium site, where the Commanders called home from 1961 to 1996 before their relocation to FedEx Field in Maryland. Groundbreaking on the project is expected next year, subject to approval by the D.C. Council, with the new stadium set to open in 2030.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Washington Commanders will invest $2.7 billion in the new stadium, while the city will contribute approximately $1.1 billion over the next eight years towards the broader redevelopment project. This project will transform 170 acres along the Anacostia River into parklands, residential space, and a sports complex, with only 16 acres dedicated to the stadium itself.
Mayor Bowser repurposed $395 million in her Fiscal Year 2026 budget that had been set aside for a canceled jail project. This money will now be earmarked for site preparation, utilities, roads, and other foundation work at RFK. The D.C. Council must approve the $1.1 billion in city spending, including the $395 million reallocation.
Debate centers around ensuring community benefits and avoiding a large annual subsidy before the lease can be finalized. A vote is expected to occur in the first two weeks of June. Once the Council grants approval, crews will tear down RFK's old structures to clear the site, and the demolition timeline has yet to be fixed.
Parallel to the stadium build, the plan includes new parks, housing, retail spaces, a sportsplex, and other amenities across the RFK campus. Early phases of these surrounding developments will roll out beginning in 2027 through 2029. The return of the Commanders to D.C., while exciting, faces challenges, as some D.C. Council members have questioned the use of public funds for the stadium, with Council Chairman Phil Mendelson stating that he does not believe taxpayer money should be spent on a stadium.
The construction of the new stadium is part of a major revitalization project at the old RFK Stadium site. The project will require majority approval from the D.C. Council, which is anticipated to be addressed in the summer of 2025. If approved, planning will continue through the fall of 2025, with groundbreaking potentially beginning soon after the RFK Stadium demolition is complete. The stadium is slated to open in 2030, provided all approvals and construction proceed as planned.
The Washington Commanders will play American-football in a new stadium, built on the RFK Stadium site, starting from 2030. The new sports complex, including the stadium, will also feature parks, housing, retail spaces, and a sportsplex. NFL analysis predicts a potential challenge in the use of public funds for the stadium's construction, with some D.C. Council members advocating for community benefits and avoiding large annual subsidies.
