D.C. releases master plan for RFK Stadium redevelopment
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Image: Courtesy of the D.C. Office of Planning
An expanded Stadium-Armory Metro station and new Gold Line buses will be ready to ferry fans to the new Commanders stadium by the home opener in fall 2030, Mayor Muriel Bowser declared Thursday.
Why it matters: Bowser's pledge comes as D.C. releases a new RFK site master plan guiding how the neighborhood around the stadium will grow for decades to come.
The big picture: D.C. is betting heavily on transit to get fans to the stadium, which is planned with just 6,000 parking spaces.
- Metro ruled out building a second infill Blue-Yellow Line station.
- Instead, general manager Randy Clarke is planning to grow the capacity of Stadium-Armory station and debut a new Gold Line bus rapid transit route to hook Union Station to the new stadium through H Street and Benning Road NE.
- "It will be completed" by the first Commanders home game, promised Bowser, who leaves office this January. "This is our obligation."
Follow the money: The D.C. Council has approved $300 million for the station upgrades, but there's only $5 million devoted to the Gold Line so far to begin its planning.
- The master plan also calls for a "transit plaza" for the Gold Line and other buses, with an eye toward designing bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly streets.
State of play: The Office of Planning finalized the master plan after receiving 3,000 public comments this summer.
- Its director said it's a guide for how "buildings will look and feel" across six districts that will fit roughly 6,500 homes (30% affordable), a fan plaza, a hotel, recreation areas for sports and leisure, and new access to the Anacostia River.
- The domed stadium will be capable of hosting a Super Bowl. The development is projected to create 30,000 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs.
Cuneyt's thought bubble: The master plan is a big step, but it's hardly the last word. The D.C. Council can amend it before an approval vote this fall, and remember: the next mayor could push their own tweaks.
- And don't expect 6,500 homes overnight. With private construction slowing, the campus could build out gradually into the 2040s — much like Navy Yard.
- That presumably leaves plenty of asphalt for tailgaters, especially in the early years. For their part, the Commanders are "being very creative" on making opportunities for tailgating, Bowser said.