Washington’s NFL team is preparing for a long-anticipated homecoming to the nation’s capital, following an agreement with the District of Columbia to construct a new stadium as part of a $4 billion redevelopment project. Announced Monday, the plan will see the Commanders build their new facility on the site of the old RFK Stadium—where the team played for over 30 years—under a partnership with Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration.
“This has been a vision of ours since we bought the team,” Harris said. “We all experienced the rumbling of RFK (and) the fact that we grew up here gave us that vision to not look at the crumbling concrete that was there but remember in our minds the vivid nature of what Washington football is all about.”
Construction could begin next year, pending approval from the D.C. Council, with the stadium expected to open its doors in 2030.
Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the news, calling it “a HUGE WIN for Washington, D.C.” and the team’s supporters in a social media post.
The Commanders are expected to invest $2.7 billion into the development, while the District will contribute approximately $1.1 billion over the next several years toward the stadium, public housing, green spaces, and a new sports complex across 170 acres along the Anacostia River. The stadium itself—planned to seat 65,000 and feature a roof for year-round use—will occupy just 16 of those acres.
“It’s a great day in our process to bring the Commanders home,” Harris added, noting he and his fellow owners “are committed to making the single largest private investment in D.C. history.”
Public financing will account for 24% of the total project cost—significantly below the average of 40% for NFL stadiums built or renovated since 2008. By comparison, recent stadium projects for the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Buffalo Bills received between 49% and 60% in public funding, according to data from Conventions Sports & Leisure International Inc. Of D.C.’s contribution, $500 million comes from funds initially allocated for Nationals Park, while another $181 million will be provided by EventsDC for parking infrastructure.
The announcement was made at the National Press Club, where Mambo Sauce’s “Welcome to DC” played as Mayor Bowser, Harris, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell arrived on stage. A backdrop bearing the message “Welcome home” set the tone as Goodell remarked that the new stadium “dramatically” improves Washington’s chances of hosting a future Super Bowl.
“We’re working on the commissioner hard (but also) Taylor Swift, pick an event, pick an act,” Harris said. “This is about D.C. and making this more than just a stadium and making it attractive.”
Since acquiring the team from Dan Snyder in 2022, the Commanders’ ownership group has explored potential stadium locations across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Their plans gained momentum after Congress passed legislation in January transferring control of the RFK site to the District—legislation signed by then-President Joe Biden, following lobbying efforts by Harris and Goodell in late 2024.
