RFK stadium deal decision punted to September

Black, Stephanie (EOM)

The Washington, D.C., City Council punted into September a decision on a $3.7 billion proposal to bring the NFL team into the city from the suburbs by building a stadium as proponents are clamoring to seal the deal. 

"The RFK redevelopment project is an economic opportunity that we can't afford to pass on," said Tiffany Tate, a project manager of SNO Corp. and co-chair of RFK Now, a stadium support group. 

"With $2.7 billion in private investments on the table, all we need is for the council to say yes," she added. 

The Washington Commanders agreed to put up the $2.7 billion to move into a new stadium that would anchor a 180-acre mixed use development that includes housing, hospitality and park space. 

The city's contribution is estimated at a bit over $1 billion. 

The deal is supported by the NFL, the team, and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. 

The initial proposal called for City Council approval by July 15, or the team would be able to open negotiations with other municipalities.  

The team currently plays its home games at Northwestern Field in Prince George's County, Maryland. 

Virginia has also expressed interest in trying to attract a major league sports team to the state. 

The D.C. City Council gave preliminary approval to include the project in the mayor's 2026 budget, but hedged its support in the fine print by saying, "the council needs more time to consider the proposed deal, which would commit the district to spending well above $1 billion over the coming decade."

The council is on summer recess until September 15, but will conduct a special public hearing on the stadium proposal on July 29. 

Opponents are concerned about traffic and taxpayers financing infrastructure improvements to the site that could cost more than $1 billion. 

The city has a well-documented history of issuing bonds to finance its major league sports teams.    

RFK Now is countering the arguments for sacking the stadium deal by showcasing the success of Nationals Park, the city's Major League Baseball stadium which is running ahead of schedule on paying off its debt.

The group compares the city's estimated 25% contribution to the stadium with other NFL deals in progress, including the Tennessee Titans who are relying on 60% of stadium funding to come from the state and the city of Nashville. 

The Buffalo Bills stadium project has 49% of the funding coming from New York state and Erie County.

RFK Now has published the terms sheet for a portion of the redevelopment deal, which shows the city obtaining "authority for the issuance of revenue bonds to generate net proceeds in an amount not to exceed $175,000,000." 

The repayment would be secured by the sales and ticket tax revenue generated by the stadium. 

The document also begins laying out the formation of a "StadCo," a special purpose legal entity typically used in large stadium deals to protect the team from financial and legal liabilities.