You can still see its footprint, but the old RFK Stadium is gone. The work to build a new stadium extends far beyond construction itself, and the message sent by the Washington Commanders and the city to D.C.鈥檚 business community is that the time to get involved in bringing the site to life is now.
鈥淪ometimes, people get fixated on 2030,鈥� Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a fireside chat with team officials on Wednesday. 鈥淏ut these contracts are going out right now.”
And the project is advancing, even if the progress isn’t visible to most people.
鈥淒esign and all the infrastructure work that will happen 鈥� all of that is happening right now,鈥� she added.
Bowser made those comments at the , which brings the city鈥檚 business and real estate community together for networking and to provide information about business opportunities. Her sit-down conversation with Commanders President Mark Clouse came at the end of a full morning of events and discussions tied to the project.
During the discussion, Bowser touted the project as one that will help the city pivot from being overly dependent on the federal government and workers’ economic activity.
鈥淧eople thought I was crazy, maybe still do, when I just called us the ‘sports capital,’鈥� she said. 鈥淲e won a World Series, Stanley Cup, hosted an All Star game for MLB and MLS. We’re going to have the NFL Draft. And we will have the Super Bowl, so I think that qualifies as the sports capital.鈥�
That last comment drew a big ovation from the hundreds who gathered at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Woodley Park to hear what the mayor and Clouse had to say.
During the event, the importance of the new stadium having a roof was repeatedly brought up. It鈥檚 something Clouse said the mayor continually pushed for, and said he was grateful for her support.
鈥淭he roof not only enables all of the great year-round activations and concerts and things we’ve talked about, but it also allows us to employ people at the stadium year-round,鈥� said Clouse, who pointed out everyone who works at FedEx Field is a part-time worker. 鈥淪o we’re actually giving people careers.鈥�
Renderings for the proposed stadium have been released and the team plans to make more changes in the future.
But Bowser and Clouse repeatedly stressed that the sheer size and scope of the project means that while the campus redevelopment might be anchored by the football stadium, their vision is for something much more.
鈥淚 want people to want to go have a picnic at the stadium on non-game days,鈥� Clouse said. 鈥淎nd I think we will achieve our goal if that’s happening. People hang out down there. They want to have a nice afternoon. The backdrop of the stadium makes it a great place to go for families, and that’s what we’re really after.鈥�
He said the team is working on a tight timeline to be ready for the 2030 season, and work is already underway to begin prepping the site to build the new venue. That allowed Clouse to make a pitch to other business leaders who might not be involved in the work Bowser mentioned.
鈥淭here is an incredible number of opportunities to participate,鈥� Clouse said.
He then joked he wouldn鈥檛 be getting a full night鈥檚 sleep until the stadium is finished in 2030.
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