The Council of the District of Columbia unanimously voted to approve the transfer of the former RFK Stadium site to its control after Congress passed legislation authorizing the action last month.
Congress passed a bill in December giving the District of Columbia control of the federal land encompassing the former RFK Stadium, and the legislation was signed into law by former President Joe Biden in early January. The legislation passed by the council on Tuesday was “technical in nature” and allowed the transfer to go forward.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser celebrated the passage of the resolution, which allows the redevelopment efforts of the land to move forward.
It’s official: DC can control its destiny at the RFK campus.
Today, the @councilofdc unanimously approved my legislation to accept the transfer of jurisdiction of the RFK site to DC and now, we have the opportunity to put the land back to productive use for our city.
Let’s get…
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) February 4, 2025
“It’s official: DC can control its destiny at the RFK campus. Today, the @councilofdc unanimously approved my legislation to accept the transfer of jurisdiction of the RFK site to DC and now, we have the opportunity to put the land back to productive use for our city. Let’s get to work!” Bowser said in a post on X.
A new stadium for the Washington Commanders has been a top contender to replace the soon-to-be-demolished RFK Stadium, which hosted the NFL team from 1961 until 1996, but the land could also be used for housing and retail developments. Local lawmakers in D.C. will have control over what gets built on the land.
Bowser has not been shy about her hope for the Commanders to move back to D.C. Commanders owner Josh Harris has also expressed a desire for the team to play in D.C.
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“It’s the location that, when we do surveys, is the most acceptable,” Harris said at a news conference earlier this week. “That doesn’t mean that there’s not a lot of support in Maryland, a lot of support in Virginia. There is, but obviously, D.C. is kind of aligned with the history and happens to be the easiest place to get to for the most number of fans.”
Harris also said Maryland, where the team currently plays, could still be an option. The current lease for the Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover expires in 2027, while Harris has said 2030 is a realistic opening date for a new stadium — wherever it is built.
