Supporters of the RFK Stadium bill have touted the many potential uses of the development project, including parks and housing for the 174 acres the Commanders had called home for decades. For example, neither the words “Commanders” or “stadium” appeared in D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s remarks after the legislation took a major step forward Tuesday night.
But the push to get the bill—which transfers the land under the site of the old RFK Stadium from the federal government to D.C.—passed by Congress illustrates that, not only will the parcel be an option for a stadium, but it’s also the preferred site for the Commanders within Josh Harris’s ownership group, two sources close to the legislative effort told Front Office Sports.
The Commanders aren’t picking a favorite, at least publicly, just yet.
“This bill is about creating an equal playing field so that all potential future locations for the home of the Washington Commanders can be fairly considered and give our franchise the opportunity to provide the best experience for all of our fans,” a team source told FOS.
After Maryland senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen backed off their opposition, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and the Commanders agreed to a plan to develop the team’s current home in Landover if the team leaves, the RFK Stadium bill is now included in the continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government and avoid a government shutdown at midnight on Friday. Since the Senate can amend the bill only by sending it back to the House, the spending bill will almost certainly pass.
While there’s still a chance for a three-jurisdiction battle for the Commanders’ next home, Maryland’s pushback on the bill that the Commanders and the NFL lobbied for, and Virginia’s relative silence, leave D.C. as the top contender.
“We are confident that Landover is still the best, and fastest, path to a new stadium for the Washington Commanders,” Moore said in a statement. “We have said from the start of this process that regardless of what happens with the RFK legislation, we are focused on making sure that Landover receives the investment it deserves. While the stadium location is still an open question, the Commanders and the state of Maryland both agree on the importance of the team’s commitment to the Prince George’s community if the team decides to move.”
There’s a feeling among several politicians in northern Virginia—one of the many areas explored under former owner Dan Snyder—that the Commanders favor D.C., one source said.
But since the target date to open a stadium to replace arguably the worst in the NFL isn’t until 2030, there’s plenty of time for things to change. The Commanders own Northwest Stadium and the 200 acres they comprise in Landover, where the team has played since 1997.
D.C. gave up some fighter jets to Maryland to get the deal done, so Bowser and others in the District’s government see a football stadium as a potential centerpiece toward developing the land where the original RFK Stadium is still being demolished. But there will likely be local opposition to bringing a sports team to the site after both the Nationals and D.C. United found new homes in southeast D.C. years ago.
As far as public money goes, there are doubts D.C. could afford to match what Maryland or Virginia could offer. Earlier this year, D.C. agreed to spend $515 million to upgrade Capital One Arena, home of the Wizards and Capitals, over the next three years.
But with the amount of demolition and remediation the site requires, it won’t be ready immediately after the 99-year lease kicks in when the CR passes through Congress and is signed by President Biden to fund the government through March 14. Construction doesn’t have to begin for another two or three years, anyway.
The RFK Stadium bill stated “training facilities, offices, and other structures” could be included on the land, however, a new HQ and training facility aren’t expected to be part of the RFK Stadium complex if the Commanders indeed relocate there.
In the latest NFL Players Association survey, players ranked the team’s practice facility last for a second year in a row in overall workplace conditions—and the tiny training digs at the team’s headquarters in Ashburn, Va., are a major reason why. But the franchise doesn’t plan to leave Ashburn and has had initial discussions to create state-of-the art training and HQ facilities, which could include workspace for many employees who currently work out of Northwest Stadium, the two sources said.
Loudoun County, where the five boroughs of unincorporated Ashburn are located, has the top median household income ($170,463) in the nation, but housing isn’t as pricey or as scarce as D.C., located 40 minutes away (without traffic).
