An NFL Stadium Back In D.C.? Bipartisan Bill May Get It Done.

 Will America see professional football actually played in the nation’s capital again anytime soon? A bipartisan Congressional bill might make that happen and bring Washington’s team back to the District.

On Wednesday, Congressman James Comer (R-KY) introduced a co-sponsored bill titled, “The D.C. Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act.”

“This legislation is set to pave the way for local officials to create meaningful new jobs, add millions in city revenue, and transform the Anacostia River waterfront into a lively destination for all,” Comer said in a statement given to The Washington Post.

Comer, who is chairman of House Oversight, also emphasized that the “committee remains committed to working with Washington, D.C. officials to ensure a capital that is prosperous for residents and visitors for generations to come.”

The bill would transfer the existing RFK property from the Secretary of Interior to the GSA. The GSA would then lease it to the city of D.C. for 99 years with an option review.

D.C. non-voting delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) also cosponsored the bill and supported its speedy passage.

“The RFK site sits on underused federal land in D.C. that could be redeveloped, generating tax revenue for D.C.,” Norton said. “Neither the Mayor nor the Council Chair opposes this bill, which would allow D.C. to put the site to productive use — a vast improvement on the current state of affairs. I look forward to working with Chairman Comer to pass this bill as quickly as possible.”

RFK Stadium was first built in 1961, originally called Washington, D.C., Stadium. It held its last event in 2017, but the Washington Redskins played their last game at RFK in 1996.

 

Now, with the Washington Commanders sold to a new ownership group, federal officials hope that the team will come back to the district. While D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser suggested that the existing stadium would be torn down, she remained confident a new one would be built in hopes of attracting D.C.’s NFL team.

New owner Josh Harris, who grew up in the area, had previously expressed his appreciation for what RFK had to offer.

“We would love to have a stadium where the opposing players fear to come, and our fans love to come, and our players love to come and feel welcomed,” he said after buying the team. “That’s what I experienced at RFK — and whatever happens with the stadium, that’s the kind of stadium experience I want to create.”