The Washington Commanders are officially returning to the District of Columbia.The D.C. Council, in an 11-2 vote late Wednesday afternoon, gave second and final approval for a $3.8 billion project that will build a covered 65,000-seat stadium on the old RFK Stadium site, along with a massive mixed-use development project in the surrounding neighborhoods that will create multiple entertainment and dining areas. The team also committed to building 5,000 to 6,000 affordable housing units for city residents.
See you in 2030. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/8nCY3Fkx7v
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 17, 2025Commanders owner Josh Harris said in a statement Wednesday that the stadium project will be “transformative” and “bring lasting economic growth to the city. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and collaboration between Mayor (Muriel) Bowser, Chairman (Phil) Mendelson, the Council and the countless community, business and labor leaders whose voices and input helped shape the process every step of the way.”Wednesday’s vote capped a whirlwind two-year process that crystallized when Harris bought the Commanders from ex-owner Daniel Snyder in 2023 for a then-NFL record $6.05 billion. There was no appetite on the Council to work with the team on a new stadium in the District while Snyder owned the team. His departure created the runway for discussions between Harris and representatives not just in D.C., but in Maryland and Virginia as well.But, getting a new stadium inside the District still was the longest of long shots as long as the city didn’t control the 180-acre parcel that includes the RFK site. That was the case until just before Christmas last year, when extensive lobbying efforts by Harris, Bowser and the NFL produced a seemingly miraculous, and unanimous, vote by the U.S. Senate to transfer control of the land from the federal government to D.C. That made the District the prohibitive front-runner to work out a deal with the team for a new stadium.“It is no secret that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Ward 7 Councilman Wendell Felder, a staunch supporter of the project who represents neighborhoods at and around RFK. “Since I’ve been a Council member, I’ve said this repeatedly — Ward 7 is the only ward in the District of Columbia that does not have an anchor. Today, I’m proud to say that today’s vote will change that.”The Commanders were adamant that they wanted a deal approved this year, which should allow them to break ground on the new stadium in 2026 and complete it by 2030. The team also wanted the stadium done by then so it could make a bid for the Women’s World Cup final in 2031. The stadium could also put D.C. in the mix to host its first Super Bowl as early as 2032; NFL guidelines stipulate a stadium be in use for two full seasons before hosting a Super Bowl.Commanders officials have said that they hope to have up to 200 events a year in the stadium, including potential Final Fours, major concerts, wrestling and MMA matches, along with other major events that would make the new stadium one of the busiest for a primary tenant NFL team in the league.
