D.C. residents got the opportunity to ask city officials questions and express concerns about the RFK Stadium site Thursday evening during a community meeting at Eastern High School in Northeast.
Mayor Murial Bowser, Ward 7 Councilmember Wendell Felder and representatives for Events DC were met by a full house.
“Let’s be perfectly clear: That Super Bowl will be coming to that site if we have a stadium there,” Bowser said, earning applause.
Last week, the D.C. Council gave the green light to begin long-term planning for the 170-plus acres along the Anacostia River, and Bowser believes an NFL team is the best way to do it.
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.
“We know it’s the right time and we have the right partner,” she said. “We haven't always been able to say we have the right partner in the Washington football team.”
Her vision includes 30% of the land designated for parks and a stadium of about 20-to-25 acres.
“We can also prioritize affordable and mixed-income housing, expand retail, and commercial opportunities,” Felder said.
Before the meeting, Ward 7 resident John Capozzi expressed concerns over taxpayer money going toward an NFL stadium.
“I’m a huge football fan, but if they want us to pay for it, than that’s just not going to work,” he said.
Other issues residents brought up included environmental impact, small businesses and parking.
Bowser said they will start hammering out details for a potential deal with the Commanders.
“We’re going to develop 177 acres there,” she said. “It's going to be with an NFL stadium or without, but we’re going to develop it. We need to develop it.”
Bowser stressed they are in the very beginning of planning, but they hope to address some of those questions about transportation and traffic at the next community meeting. There’s no word on when that will be.
Sign up for our free deep-dive newsletter, The 4Front, to get standout News4 stories sent right to your inbox. Subscribe here.
