Skateboarders wary of being wiped out by RFK Stadium redevelopment

The prospect of a glitzy new NFL palace anchoring a rebuilt, redeveloped RFK Stadium site has many local politicians excited. But the idea has critics, too — including the members of a rag-tag group of neighborhood skateboarders who say they’ll fight to save the beloved, graffiti-covered Maloof Skate Park, which sits on a parking lot outside the derelict facility.

After years of limbo, bipartisan legislation moved through Congress last month that would allow D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser to move forward on her plans to redevelop the federally-owned site as part of her effort to lure the Commanders back to the city — a longtime priority of the three-term mayor.

But the Commanders aren’t a priority for the skaters. Maloof is.

“We don’t trust the city to build a new skate park if they get rid of Maloof,” said Jeremy Stettin, one of more than 20 skaters who spoke with The Washington Times at the park recently.

“Maloof is a place of significance. It means so much, it’s part of who I am,” Tre Jackson said. “We’re not just here to skate, it’s the environment. [Maloof] helped me develop and grow. It’s a place to just be.”

The skate park in RFK Stadium Lot 3 was built in 2011 for the Maloof Money Cup — a professional event that built skate spots around the nation and then left them for public use.

Skaters applaud the D.C. course’s layout, which was designed by professionals. They also love that Maloof, with its spacious design, is easily accessible from the Metro. 

“D.C. needs all our skate parks, especially ones of this quality,” said Jordan Taylor, who goes by J.T. “It’s impossible to say how important a park like this is. Skating changes lives.”

Several skaters told The Times that Maloof has kept them safe in difficult times. Some noted that they may have turned to drugs or crime without the sanctuary that the skate park provided.

“Skateboarding kept me off the streets and kept me from taking bad advice,” Fabian Pineda said. “It helped me find purpose.” 

Pineda knows that development is inevitable, but he hopes Maloof will be included in the mayor’s plans. He said it would hurt too much to lose this spot. 

Despite local pushback, the mayor has been resolute in her attempts to bring the Commanders back to the District — the team has played its home games in Landover since 1997.

“The Washington Commanders belong in Washington,” she wrote on social media in October. “Let’s get back to winning. Let’s get back to RFK.”

Bowser’s enthusiasm has failed to sway many residents around the RFK site who remain apprehensive. Community members in Kingman Park told The Times they don’t think the area’s roads are equipped to handle the traffic accompanying a new stadium. 

At Maloof, skaters of all ages had more pressing concerns. While many were open to the Commanders returning to the RFK site, they wouldn’t support any development that jeopardizes the park. The mayor has been noncommittal about the future of Maloof and skaters don’t know where else they would go. 

“I want to make sure that [the Department of Parks and Recreation] is thinking about it with the facility that it will operate,” Bowser said in an October meeting with the community. “I want to make sure my sports team is thinking about it for our study of infrastructure needs.” 

The mayor’s office has not responded to The Times’ request for comment. 

“It’s disrespectful,” skater Tyler Willis said of the mayor’s proposal. “It seems like [she] doesn’t really have a plan. 

Despite cold and windy conditions, there were more than 40 skaters at the park on Sunday. They shared tricks, shot videos and begged the mayor to protect the skate park.

“The real benefit is exposure to people outside your bubble. Skateboarding is a true melting pot,” Stettin said. “Rich or poor, we’re all skaters.” 

There aren’t many spaces for skaters within the District. Maloof is one of their last respites, along with Shaw Skate Park, which is nearly eight miles away in Northwest D.C. 

”Skating keeps kids out of trouble; it keeps them away from drugs,” skater Jake Brown said. “I’d get pissed if they took away Maloof. I’d be so mad.”

Attitudes toward city officials have soured among many of the older skaters in recent years. Stettin said he lost trust in the city after problems at Bridge Spot, a skater-built oasis in Southeast near Garfield Park. He noted that the city razed the site, telling the community they would relocate the amenities. The old skate spot is now a homeless encampment, and skaters said they haven’t heard any updates from the city. 

“Maloof is all we have left,” Stettin said. “I don’t trust them as far as I can throw them.”

Skaters said they’ve been disappointed by the District’s lack of investment in Maloof. The site was privately built and Stettin said the city doesn’t provide any detailed maintenance. City workers pick up trash in the area but they don’t perform any thorough upkeep. 

“This place is a savior for a lot of people who didn’t have anywhere to go,” said Tom Shrack, who described himself as Maloof’s resident old guy. “It’s a place for kids to go after school, a place kids feel safe.”

The self-described senior skater, who has a newborn at home, said the skate community needs investment now, not the threat of a new stadium.

For now, the skaters said it’s business as usual at the park, where all comers are welcome.

“This park is home for a lot of hearts,” said Darnell Young, who has been skating at Maloof since 2011. “This park has kept a lot of people alive. It’s one place kids can feel safe — they magically find their way here.”

Young, who sports a “Maloof Mafia” tattoo, is now teaching his child to skate at the park. 

Skaters said they want the mayor to know how influential the park is. They hope that if she understands Maloof’s impact, Bowser will protect the site if a new stadium is built.

“The park saves lives. It keeps people from being guided to bad activities,” David Aguilar said. “It keeps heads on straight and bolts on tight. It keeps kids safe.”