Good news for the possibility of a Commanders stadium at RFK, or somewhere in the District, bringing all four teams back inside city limits?
On Thursday, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development released a study regarding the economic impact of sports teams and facilities in DC, and as you might expect it found that ‘sports facilities in urban areas drive economic growth in surrounding neighborhoods.’
Even better news for the Audacy DC family: Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the study, and its results, live with the Sports Junkies on Thursday morning, and it’s good news for all.
“You have a point of view we know is interesting to fans of or teams and you always work with our office to get the news out, so we are happy to bring the DMPED study to you,” the Mayor said. “We announced last summer at Nats Park we were starting the DMPED sports team, and one of their big tasks was to look at all of the needs for all our teams across the district now and in the future, and that’s what we’re delivering today.”
Indeed, both Gallery Place/Chinatown and Navy Yard have been heavily revitalized since the openings of Capital One Arena and Nationals Park, respectively, and the reversal of that was one of the main concerns when Ted Leonsis and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced plans for Monumental Sports & Entertainment announced a plan to move the Capitals, Wizards, and all MSE properties to a campus in northern Virginia.
That of course was voted down in the Commonwealth’s legislature, and D.C. later approved more than a half-billion dollars to fund Monumental’s refurbishment of Cap One and the surrounding campus – and it seems like there may be more to come?.
“We’ve been talking for the better part of the year largely around our experience with Monumental Sports & Entertainment and about investments in it, and constantly I’m asked why the government should be involved with sports teams owned by wealthy people – shouldn’t they shoulder that?” The Mayor said. “So with this study, we wanted to see what has been our experience with having pro hockey and basketball downtown, and MLB at the riverfront, and our latest experience with Audi Field and revitalizing Buzzards Point. Even Congress Heights, where we built the Entertainment and Sports Arena – what has been the District’s commitment and the federal government’s ancillary investment in these areas? Ultimately, we do cover a section of what a successful NFL stadium would look like in the District. Our focus as a government with this study is to outline what pro sports have meant to DC and our economy, and how we created jobs and they have spurred other development around them when they are thoughtful economic centers.”
This study now comes out at a time when the U.S. Congress has been hearing a bill that would allow D.C. to lease the land at the RFK site for 99 years and use it for a mixed-use development, including a new sports facility of some sort – potentially bringing the Commanders back home after over a quarter-century in Landover.
“During my tenure in Congress I’ve worked to transfer control of underused federal land in the District to local D.C. so it can be put to productive use,” D.C. Congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton said in a May press release after a Senate hearing on the bill. “This bill is a win-win for both the federal and D.C. governments. The last professional sports game played at RFK Stadium was in 2017 and the stadium’s current blighted state presents dangers to nearby residents, but the bill would allow D.C. to create a mixed-use development and generate significant revenue for the District.”
Based on the results of the study done by the Mayor’s office, could this be a boost to that plan?
“We think RFK is the site, and you’ve heard that RFK is the spiritual home of the Washington football team,” Mayor Bowser said. “We have the highway, Metro, and pedestrian access, and quite frankly, we have the experience. We have a stadium that could sit on the axis of the Capitol and other monuments, and those views and experience can’t be replaced.”
Listen to Mayor Bowser’s entire segment with the Junkies above!