Washington D.C. is close to a deal worth more than $3 billion to bring the Washington Commanders back to the district and build a new stadium at the RFK Stadium site.
Preliminary plans, supported by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the team, outline a financing framework in which the Commanders would fund the bulk of the project. The city’s financial contribution would instead focus on supporting broader infrastructure and development across the surrounding 180-acre site.
According to documents obtained by NBC4, the Commanders would invest $2.5 billion into the stadium. The city’s share—up to $850 million—would cover “eligible capital costs” tied to infrastructure and amenities such as parking, which would serve the entire mixed-use development.
The city’s portion would be paid in installments. An initial $500 million would be disbursed between 2026 and 2030, with the remaining $350 million to be paid in 2032 using tax revenues generated by the new complex.
Though still under negotiation, the current timeline targets fall 2030 for the completion of the stadium and associated parking structures—aligning with Commanders owner Josh Harris’ vision for the team’s future.
The project comes as D.C. faces $410 million in budget cuts imposed by Congress, a factor that must be addressed before Mayor Bowser can present the city’s 2026 fiscal year budget. Both the D.C. Council and Congress must approve the final budget plan.
In a key step toward redevelopment, former President Joe Biden signed the RFK Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act into law this January, after the U.S. Senate passed it with unanimous consent in December. The legislation allows the city to move forward with demolition and redevelopment under a new 99-year lease—clearing the way for formal talks with developers like the Commanders.
Currently, the team is under contract to play at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, through 2027, with the option to extend that arrangement until a new stadium is ready. The team owns both the stadium and the surrounding land.
Meanwhile, Maryland Governor Wes Moore has publicly expressed interest in keeping the Commanders in Landover, proposing a new stadium adjacent to the current site.
The Commanders previously played at RFK Stadium from 1961 until their move to Maryland in 1997, and a return to their longtime home city would mark a major shift in the franchise’s history and identity.
