Washington Commanders seal $3.8B return to DC as RFK project clears final hurdle

The District of Columbia Council approved a $3.8 billion plan to relocate the Washington Commanders back to the nation’s capital, moving from Landover, Maryland, to a mixed-use redevelopment on the site of RFK Stadium by 2030. The 11-2 vote on Wednesday clears the final local hurdle and sends the measure to Mayor Muriel Bowser for signing.

Under the agreement, the Commanders would contribute about $2.7 billion toward a new stadium, housing, green space and a sports complex on roughly 180 acres along the Anacostia River. The city would invest about $1.1 billion for the stadium, housing and related infrastructure. Bowser said in a statement after the vote that, "It is with great pride that I can say we are officially bringing our Commanders home and turning 180 acres of land on the banks of the Anacostia, on the monumental axis, into jobs and opportunity for DC residents," adding that the project will be "the largest economic development project in DC history."

The plan marks a return to RFK Stadium’s footprint, with the team aiming to open a new venue on the same site in 2030. The project would replace the old stadium with a mix of housing, commercial space and a stadium complex as part of a broader development along the Anacostia River.

The vote came after a contentious process in which the Commanders warned of what they described as "last-minute new demands" from the Council in a letter to Council President Phil Mendelson, a copy of which The Associated Press obtained. Team president Mark Clouse wrote that several proposed amendments could undermine assurances on development, accountability and financing. Despite those concerns, the final vote largely fell along party lines, with one Democrat, Matthew Frumin, switching his vote to yes on Wednesday after opposing the bill last month. He said, "It’s gonna happen. Let’s all get shoulder to shoulder and make this as great as it can be."

Owner Josh Harris said the achievement would not have been possible without collaboration among Mayor Bowser, Council Chairman Mendelson, other council members, and community, business and labor leaders whose voices helped shape the process. He said the return to DC would affirm the franchise’s roots in the capital and spur long-term improvements for nearby neighborhoods.

The Commanders currently play at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, where they have been based since 1997. Congress earlier transferred RFK Stadium land to the city, a move signed by then-President Joe Biden in January, clearing the way for redevelopment on the 180 acres that once housed the old stadium. The plan envisions a mixed-use campus that would include a new Commanders venue on the RFK site, with the hope of kicking off a broader economic renewal for the neighborhood and the city as a whole. The 2030 opening date would mark a return to the city where the franchise won three Super Bowls in the 1980s and 1990s.

Trump threats to block federal support over the team’s branding added a political twist to the local decision. The president said last month he might withhold federal backing for the project unless the team reverted to the former name, the Washington Redskins, and dropped the Commanders moniker, which he described as a stain on the city’s identity. His posts on Truth Social did not specify that any federal action would be tied directly to the local development approval, but they underscored the national politics swirling around the deal.

Republican Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, praised the council’s action in a social-media post, calling the redevelopment a bipartisan success story. The DC Council also faced questions about how the city would ensure the project’s development commitments were met and how oversight would be structured over the long term. In the final hours of debate, supporters argued the project would deliver thousands of jobs, new tax revenue and a revitalized riverfront that had long been underused. Opponents cautioned that the city would need strict accountability and timely completion to prevent delays and cost overruns.

If signed into law by Bowser, the plan would set in motion a long‑term redevelopment of the RFK Memorial Stadium Campus, with the Commanders’ return dating to 2030 and the surrounding area serving as a catalyst for housing, public space and transportation improvements anchored by the NFL franchise. Supporters say the project will transform the riverfront into a hub of activity and opportunity for DC residents, while critics emphasize the need for rigorous monitoring and a transparent financing framework. The outcome, observers say, could influence future stadium projects in other cities facing similar debates about public subsidies, urban renewal and the role of professional sports franchises in urban development.