- Home
- The new stadium at RFK
Opening target: 2030
The new stadium at RFK
Washington is coming home to the RFK campus. Here is every vote, every dollar, the design and the timeline, with sources.
The deal
At least $2.7 billion, covering stadium construction. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie said cost overruns fall on the team, not D.C.
About $1.1 billion over eight years as announced (WTOP called it about $1 billion at final approval): $500M toward stadium costs from the sports facilities fee, a $175M revenue bond for parking repaid by stadium activity, $181M from Events DC for parking garages it will own, and $202M for roads and infrastructure, including a WMATA transit study.
No other public funder reported. July 2025 Council revisions added city revenue terms: $414M over 30 years, $260M from non-stadium event parking, a $20M-a-year transportation fund for Metro and roads, plus a $50M community benefits agreement.
Timeline
Congress passes the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act (H.R. 4984).
Sources: ksat.com
President Biden signs the land transfer law, giving D.C. control of the RFK campus for 99 years. Jurisdiction moved from the National Park Service to D.C. in January 2025.
Sources: mayor.dc.gov, ksat.com
Demolition of the old RFK Stadium begins (late January 2025), run by Events DC with contractor Smoot Construction.
Sources: ncpc.gov, eventsdc.com
Mayor Muriel Bowser, owner Josh Harris and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announce the deal: a 65,000-seat roofed stadium, at least $2.7 billion from the team, about $1.1 billion from D.C., opening target 2030.
Sources: wtop.com
The D.C. Council misses the mid-July deadline. Council leaders then announce revised terms ($414M in city revenue over 30 years, $260M from non-stadium event parking, a $20M-a-year transportation fund) and set votes for Aug. 1 and Sept. 17. The same month, President Trump threatens to hold up the deal unless the team goes back to its former name; nothing came of the threat.
Council first vote: 9-3 to approve the amended deal. No votes: Robert White (At-Large), Brianne Nadeau (Ward 1), Matthew Frumin (Ward 3).
Council final vote: 11-2. No votes: Robert White and Brianne Nadeau; Frumin switched to yes. Many last-minute amendments were voted down before passage.
Sources: wtop.com
Commanders name HKS lead architect. Team says vertical construction starts spring 2027, completion 2030.
Sources: commanders.com
First exterior renderings released: transparent domed roof, continuous colonnade, room for up to 70,000-plus people.
Sources: commanders.com, wtop.com
National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approves its comments on the concept plans.
Sources: ncpc.gov
NCPC unanimously approves preliminary site and building plans. The two parking garages go through a separate review.
Events DC: structural demolition of the old stadium is complete; removal of foundation walls and columns continues; about 95% of demolition waste recycled.
Sources: eventsdc.com
D.C. releases its draft RFK campus master plan: 5,500 to 6,500 homes, commercial space and parks across six districts.
Sources: wtop.com
CFA grants preliminary approval but asks for stronger east and west entrances before final review. A 'Capitol Club' balcony over East Capitol Street is shown.
Sources: sports.yahoo.com, yahoo.com
A joint venture of Clark Construction, Mortenson and Smoot Construction is picked to build the stadium.
Sources: wtop.com
Groundbreaking / construction start target. No ceremonial groundbreaking found as of 2026-10-03. The team says construction begins in 2027: below-grade work in early 2027, vertical construction in spring 2027. Earlier plans had pointed to fall 2026.
Sources: commanders.com, commanders.com
What it will have
- Roofed stadium with a sculpted, transparent domed roof for year-round events
- About 1.8 million square feet; about 195 feet tall including the dome
- Continuous colonnade; aligned with the L'Enfant Plan, rising to the north and south and staying lower on the east-west axis in deference to the U.S. Capitol
- One continuous seating bowl from field level to the upper deck: no stacked premium levels, minimal overhangs, steep seating angles, first row raised above the field
- 'Wall of Fans' section with affordable seats
- Video boards on both sidelines plus paired end zone boards, joined by a halo board around the bowl
- Roof and bowl designed to hold crowd noise in; the team calls it one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL
- 'Capitol Club' balcony over East Capitol Street with views of the Capitol and Washington Monument (shown July 2026)
- More than 200 events a year planned: games, concerts, festivals
- Up to 8,000 parking spaces at opening: about 75% in two garages up to 110 feet tall, 25% in surface lots
- At least 30% of the site set aside for recreation and green space
- Surrounding campus in the deal: 5,000 to 6,000 homes (1,500 to 1,900 affordable), a new D.C. sportsplex, and the existing Fields at RFK kept
HKS (lead stadium architect, picked November 2025; designed SoFi Stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium and AT&T Stadium) Perkins Eastman works on the master plan for the mixed-use site around the stadium. Builder: joint venture of Clark Construction, Mortenson and Smoot Construction.
The debate
Public money: D.C.'s share of about $1 billion or more drew criticism. Council Chair Phil Mendelson first said the deal sent very little revenue to the city's general fund; at hearings some residents argued it favored billionaires over housing and social services.
Sources: wtop.com
Housing first: some locals said they would rather see the land used for housing than another stadium.
Sources: wtop.com
Team name: in July 2025 President Trump threatened to hold up the deal unless the team went back to its former name. Nothing came of it.
Council dissent: Robert White and Brianne Nadeau voted no twice, citing housing safeguards and public subsidies; Matthew Frumin voted no in August before switching.
Final-day amendments (Sept. 17, 2025): new taxes on parking and merchandise revenue and penalties for missed housing deadlines. Team president Mark Clouse called the demands 'unworkable and impractical'; the council voted many of them down.
Sources: wtop.com
Traffic and parking: residents raised congestion and parking impacts on nearby neighborhoods at the 2025 hearings.
Sources: wtop.com
Parking garages: Kingman Park residents oppose two garages up to 11 stories (110 feet) next to their neighborhood and want more Metro capacity instead. NCPC asked the team to study other orientations and lower heights, especially for garage G2 near Kingman Park.
Design review: the Commission of Fine Arts gave preliminary approval in July 2026 but called the east and west entrances too weak for the end of East Capitol Street, and wants more review of the garage plans.
Sources: sports.yahoo.com, yahoo.com
Sources: commanders.com, commanders.com, commanders.com, commanders.com, commanders.com, mayor.dc.gov, ksat.com, wtop.com, wtop.com, wtop.com
New stadium FAQ
When will the new Commanders stadium open?
The team targets 2030 for the new stadium at the RFK campus in Washington, D.C. Construction is planned to start in spring 2027.
How much does the new Commanders stadium cost?
About $3.7 billion. Announced in April 2025 as 'nearly $4 billion'; WTOP put the approved deal at about $3.7 billion.
How many seats will the new RFK stadium have?
65,000 seats plus standing room for 5,000 (70,000 total)
Who is designing the new Commanders stadium?
HKS (lead stadium architect, picked November 2025; designed SoFi Stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium and AT&T Stadium)