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The Commanders officially announced plans for a $2.7 billion domed stadium at the former site of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium on Monday, April 28. The move means all of DC's major sports teams will have their home venues within the borders of the nation's capital.
The new stadium is expected to open in 2030 and will occupy just 11% of the 180-acre site, leaving room for housing, green space, hotels, and retail.
"We are thrilled to welcome the Commanders back home to the Sports Capital," said DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. "We said that we could do it all – Commanders, housing, park space, recreation, retail, entertainment, and more – and, together, that's what we are delivering."
The Commanders will invest at least $2.7 billion to build the stadium, making it the largest private investment in DC history. The district will contribute $500 million for infrastructure and horizontal development costs using funds from the Sports Facilities Fee, a revenue source formerly known as the Ballpark Fee.
Mayor Bowser also said the financing plan avoids any cuts to the city's operating budget.
"As we focus on the growth of our economy, we're not only bringing our team home, but we're also bringing new jobs and new revenue to our city and to Ward 7," she said.
Washington's team moved to RFK Stadium in 1961 after playing for more than 20 years at Griffith Stadium. In 1997, the team moved about five miles away to Landover, Maryland, to play at what's now called Northwest Stadium.
The franchise won three Super Bowls and five NFC championships with RFK as its home turf.
"Today is a defining moment for the DMV and the Washington Commanders," said team owner Josh Harris. "RFK Stadium holds a legendary place in our history – it's where the team dominated the NFL, capturing three Super Bowls and creating unforgettable memories for fans. Now, we have the opportunity to honor that legacy by building a new world-class stadium – one that is also a once-in-a-generation catalyst for uplifting and transforming our region."
After the NFL team left RFK, the stadium hosted the Washington Nationals and DC United before closing in 2019. Demolition began in 2023.
The new stadium will seat about 65,000 people for football games. The broader RFK campus redevelopment calls for up to 6,000 housing units, with at least 30% set aside as affordable housing.
The glass-roof stadium can also be used for up to 200 events beyond the Commanders' regular season games. Possible year-round uses include hosting major championships like the Super Bowl or NCAA Final Four, along with massive stadium concerts.
The development will also include restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues, retail shops, parks, and a new sportsplex for youth sports.
"Some of my earliest football memories growing up in the district were going to games at RFK Stadium," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. "It's time to bring the Commanders home."
The project is expected to create around 14,000 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs once complete. DC officials estimate it will generate $4 billion in tax revenue and more than $15.6 billion in direct spending over 30 years.
The deal comes after Congress passed the DC Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act in December 2024 and former President Joe Biden signed it into law a month later. The act lifted restrictions on the RFK campus, allowing DC to redevelop the site while requiring 30% of the property to be preserved as green space.
As the stadium deal became more likely, President Donald Trump repeated his opinion that the Commanders should return to using their longtime nickname based on a racial slur against Native Americans.
"I think it's a superior name to what they have right now, and it had heritage behind it," Trump said to reporters in the White House on Thursday, April 24.
Trump praised the stadium deal in a post on his social media platform Truth Social on April 28.
"The new Stadium Deal is a HUGE WIN for Washington, D.C., and for the Team’s incredible fan base," Trump posted. "It will also boost Economic Development, create more Jobs and, hopefully, lead to less Crime in the area."
The stadium will be accessible by many public transportation options. The campus will also have about 8,000 parking spots.
Groundbreaking for the stadium is expected to happen by the end of 2026.
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