Months after the House of Representatives gave its blessing for a potential change to the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium site, a Senate committee did the same, which could pave the way for the Washington Commanders to return to D.C.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed a bill, H.R. 4984, that would give control of the RFK Stadium site to the city through a 99-year lease. The site is currently owned by the National Park Service but is operated by Events DC, the city’s official sports and entertainment agency. The stadium itself has been defunct since 2017 and was slated to be demolished by the end of 2023; however, the full demolition has yet to take place.
The House bill passed with a 17-2 vote and will head to the Senate floor. Despite Republicans regaining control of the upper chamber, set to take effect in January, the bill has bipartisan support.
In February, the House also passed a bill, the RFK Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act, with a 348-55 vote. Of the House vote, all but one of the Maryland representatives voted against the bill, as Jamie Raskin did not vote.
Should the full Senate vote in favor of ceding control of the site to the city, the bill would need the signature of the president, whether by Joe Biden before the end of his term or President-elect Donald Trump after the new year.
Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, D.C., expressed her support of the committee vote. “Today’s vote marks a pivotal moment in our efforts to unlock the potential of the RFK Campus by transforming this underutilized space into a vibrant hub of affordable housing, world-class recreational facilities, green spaces and economic opportunity for District residents and visitors alike,” the mayor said in a statement.
The Commanders called RFK Stadium home from 1961 until 1996, when then-owner Jack Kent Cooke moved the team to what is now known as Northwest Stadium just outside of the city in the Maryland suburbs. (Cooke died in 1997, months before the new stadium opened.) RFK has also been home to teams from MLB, MLS, the NCAA and more over the years.
The Commanders have been in search of a new stadium for years, with former owner Daniel Snyder unsuccessfully lobbying multiple politicians in the DMV for various sites in the region. The new ownership group, led by D.C-area native Josh Harris, wants the Commanders to move into a new stadium by 2030. The lease at Northwest Stadium expires in 2027, but officials in Maryland and Virginia hope to appeal to the team to build the new venue in their states.
The team released a statement after the vote indicating it is keeping its options open. “The Commanders have been fortunate to have interest from three incredible jurisdictions as we search for a new home and stadium,” the statement said. “The vote today brings us one step closer towards continuing conversations with D.C., along with Maryland and Virginia, as a potential future home for our franchise.”
Northwest Stadium, formerly FedEx Field until this past August, was given a $75 million makeover this past offseason that improved some the building’s core infrastructure and upgraded amenities, including a remodeled premium space and a VIP fan tunnel.
