Washington Commanders reach $4B deal with DC to build new stadium

The NFL's Washington Commanders and the District of Columbia have reached a preliminary $4 billion deal to build a new stadium

This facility is set to be constructed at the site of the team's former home, the old RFK Stadium

On Monday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the team announced the agreement, which will still need to be approved by the D.C. Council before moving forward

RFK Stadium is currently being demolished, a process that's expected to take two years

And discussions over what to do with this site have been ongoing since the stadium closed in 2017

The advocacy group Homes Not Stadiums wanted the location to be used for affordable housing

rather than a new sports facility and put together a ballot initiative earlier this month

aimed at blocking a new stadium deal. However, efforts to bring the commanders back to D.C. included NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

who lobbied Congress to pass legislation transferring control of the RFK site

from the federal government to the local D.C. government, a measure that was signed into law at the start of this year by former President Joe Biden

Under the proposed deal, the commanders will invest at least $2.7 billion

toward the upcoming stadium project, while D.C. would allocate approximately $1.1 billion over the next eight years

for both the stadium and infrastructure improvements in the surrounding area. including the redevelopment of a sportsplex, housing, and other nearby venues

The commander's search for another stadium site intensified after a new ownership group acquired the team in July 2023

with potential locations in Washington, Virginia, and Maryland being considered. The commander's current lease at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, runs through 2027

and the team's owner, Josh Harris, previously suggested 2030 as a, quote

reasonable target for opening a new stadium. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Ray Bogan. Download the SAN app for more reporting