Local activist groups launched an effort to block the upcoming construction of an NFL stadium at the Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Memorial Stadium site in Washington, D.C.
The new RFK Stadium aims to bring the Washington Commanders, the D.C.-area professional football team, back the District after former President Joe Biden signed legislation Jan. 6 granting the D.C. government authority to repurpose and redevelop the land. The campaign against the stadium, citing the city’s lack of affordable housing, advocates for a ballot measure initiative in the 2026 local elections that would allow voters to decide on the future of the 174-acre site.
Nick Sementelli (SFS ’09), a member of the steering committee of No Billionaires Playground, one of the activist groups advocating for community-focused development on the stadium site, said the D.C. government should repurpose the site so that it serves and supports the local community.
“We think that this site is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” Sementelli told The Hoya. “A hundred acres of developable land, waterfront land — it’s kind of a tabula rasa for us to really figure out what are the city’s biggest needs and what are the things we can solve with this site — and that’s a conversation the community needs to be centered in.”
No Billionaires Playground, along with Homes Not Stadiums, another group opposing the stadium, proposes that the city use the land to build more affordable housing amid an ongoing housing crisis. According to the D.C. Policy Center, a non-partisan, nonprofit think tank that provides data-driven research to inform policy decisions in the District, the cost of rent in rent-controlled buildings in D.C. is around $1,442 per month, while the median rent for uncontrolled buildings is about $2,554.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement that the city is excited to facilitate both housing and economic development.
“We are ready and optimistic about unlocking the full potential of this space, and with more than 170 acres of land we can do it all — deliver housing, economic opportunity, green space, recreation, sports, and more,” Bowser said in the statement.
A study commissioned by the District estimates that a new stadium and mixed-use development at the RFK site could yield $1.26 billion in yearly economic benefit, including the creation of approximately 2,095 new jobs.
Sementelli said the new residents brought in by affordable housing would generate far more revenue and economic benefits than a football stadium.
“The thing that grows a city’s economic strength is by bringing new people into the city — people who pay income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes 365 days a year,” Sementelli said. “A football stadium is used at best about 30 times a year. It’s just not enough.”
According to a 2023 survey of Northwest D.C. residents, two-thirds of the resident population opposed the construction of a football stadium.
A spokesperson for Bowser’s office said the RFK stadium will contribute to the District’s long-term economic growth.
“In the coming days, we will share more on our growth agenda by highlighting our next budget to grow D.C. and outlining a plan to realize abundant opportunities at our RFK as we forge ahead with shaping D.C.’s future economy,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya.
Ellis Zusel (MSB ’26), a Commanders fan, said the stadium will create long-term employment opportunities for D.C. residents.
“To address economic inequality, we need policies that tackle the root cause by giving people stable, well-paying jobs,” Zusel told The Hoya. “Building affordable housing is certainly better than nothing, but if it’s between that or a new stadium, I think the stadium is the best way to give opportunities to those who have been left behind.”
Sementelli said the construction of the stadium contradicts the progressive economic principles the city has championed.
“D.C. broadly has been a city that has a progressive economic outlook that has been willing to invest in social safety nets, invest in strong public programs, invest in things that we know are good for everyone,” Sementelli said.
“This is a real departure from that trend and something of a betrayal of those values that most D.C. residents hold,” Sementelli added.