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Commanders Are Coming Home: D.C. Council Votes 11-2 to Approve $3.8B RFK Stadium, Targeting 2030 Opening
The D.C. Council on Wednesday gave final 11-2 approval to the Washington Commanders' $3.8 billion RFK stadium redevelopment: the team puts in $2.7 billion, the city about $1.1 billion, for a 65,000-seat stadium opening in 2030 — ending nearly 30 years in Landover, Maryland.
Why it matters
The Washington Commanders' return to the District cleared its final legislative hurdle. The D.C. Council voted 11-2 on Wednesday to approve the $3.8 billion RFK stadium redevelopment, sending the bill to Mayor Muriel Bowser, who negotiated the original plan with team owner Josh Harris in April. The new stadium rises on the old RFK site with a 2030 opening target — ending nearly three decades at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, and returning the franchise to its Super Bowl-era spiritual home of the 1980s and 1990s.
Details
The money: $2.7 billion from the team, roughly $1.1 billion from the city, covering the 65,000-seat stadium plus housing, green space and a sports complex along the Anacostia River. The full 180-acre site is planned for up to 6,000 new homes, a children's sports complex, parks and recreation space. Bowser called it "the largest economic development project in DC history." Shortly before the vote, team president Mark Clouse wrote to the Council flagging "last-minute new demands"; most proposed amendments were rejected during Wednesday's session, and the team gave no sign of lingering objections afterward. "Today is a historic day for D.C., the Commanders organization and our fans," Harris said in a statement.
Background
After buying the team from Dan Snyder in 2022, Harris's group weighed sites in Washington, Maryland and Virginia. Congress passed a bill transferring the RFK land to the city, signed by then-President Joe Biden in early January 2025, making the D.C. plan possible. The Council passed an earlier version 9-3 in August; Wednesday's vote was the final one.
Sources
Associated Press (via ESPN Harrisonburg, Virginia Business, 2026-10-21); Fox News (via ryansdistrict, 2026-10-21); The Stadium Business (2026-10-21).
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