New home: Members of a demolition crew work at RFK Stadium in Washington. The Commanders franchise are to build a new stadium at the site where the team formerly played from 1961 to 1996. — AFP
WASHINGTON: After nearly three decades of playing in Maryland, the Washington Commanders are headed back to the District of Columbia (DC) to build a new home at the site of RFK Stadium, where the US National Football League ( L) club played until the mid-1990s.
The cost of the new 65,000-seat stadium will be upwards of about US$3.8bil, according to a statement.
The Commanders will contribute at least US$2.7bil, which is the single largest private investment in Washington’s history. It’s expected to open in 2030.
For Commanders managing partner Josh Harris, striking a stadium deal in DC is a big win.
His ownership group bought the team for US$6.05bil in 2023 and inherited a lease to play games at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
L players consider it to be one of the worst home grounds in the league.
“This project is about so much more than building a stadium,” Harris said on Monday.
“It’s about a once-in-a generation opportunity to create a catalyst for long term transformational economic growth here in DC.”
With that kind of price tag, the Commanders’ new home will be the second-most expensive stadium in the world, trailing only the US$5.5bil spent on SoFi Stadium, home to the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.
After Harris and L commissioner Roger Goodell spent months lobbying government officials, former President Joe Biden signed a bill in January that transferred control of the RFK site to DC, clearing the way for the Commanders to strike a deal.
“We’ve seen throughout the country new stadiums transform communities,” Goodell said at the press conference.
“The area’s chances of hosting a Super Bowl will increase dramatically once the stadium is built,” he said.
“This will be critical in revitalising an area that has been dormant and undeveloped for nearly 30 years.”
City’s Role DC will contribute a little more than US$1bil to the stadium project, which includes housing, parks, restaurants and hotels over 180 acres.
An existing sports facility fee that’s funded through a tax on companies will supply US$500mil of the city’s contribution.
Washington mayor Muriel Bowser has long pushed for the team to return, but has faced competition from Virginia, which offered the Commanders US$1bil and a cut of sales tax revenue if it moved to the state.
Bowser has previously made it clear the city was dedicated to keeping sports teams by agreeing to US$515mil in public funds for renovations to Capital One Arena, which is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment and home to the Wizards, Capitals and Mystics.
The project has faced some opposition over the use of public funds.
The city will not need to make any cuts from the city’s operating budget for the stadium, according to the statement.
The Commanders project is expected to create 2,000 permanent jobs and another 14,000 during construction, according to the statement. Over 30 years, direct spending may surpass US$15bil.
The RFK site was most appealing because it’s a central point between Maryland and Virginia, while also being a 10-minute drive from Capitol Hill. What kept the Commanders from immediately building at the RFK site was the fact that it was governed by the federal government and not DC. — Bloomberg
