RFK Stadium can be demolished without any impact on the nearby environment, the National Park Service said Thursday. The federal agency can now issue a permit for D.C. officials to begin demolition.
The National Park Service’s environmental impact report was the latest hurdle for the rusting stadium, which has fallen into disrepair over the last five years. Mayor Muriel Bowser has said she’d like to build a new stadium on the site to lure the Washington Commanders back to the city.
“The Washington Commanders belong in Washington. Let’s get back to winning,” Bowser wrote on X in February. “Let’s get back to RFK.”
Work crews have already removed seats, furniture and equipment from the stadium. Events D.C., the organization that manages several venues, completed the first phase of the teardown in October.
The District owns the decaying stadium, but the land is federally owned. Federal agencies have to approve any construction or demolition on the property.
In February, the House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation to lease the site to the D.C. government for 99 years. The bill was then referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, where it awaits a vote.
“We are one step closer to a transformed RFK campus,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement in February. “One step closer to sports and entertainment, green spaces and recreational facilities, much-needed housing and jobs — a mix of uses that will benefit the community, fuel our comeback, and put underutilized land to productive use.”
The Commanders’ lease at their Landover stadium expires in 2027. Officials from the District, Maryland and Virginia are all vying to host the team’s home games in the future.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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