After the Senate voted to pass the RFK stadium land bill, giving control of the land to D.C., News4’s Derrick Ward has reaction from residents.
The U.S. Senate has passed a bill granting control of the old RFK Stadium site to the District of Columbia, a last-minute passage that helps clear the way for the Washington Commanders to potentially move back to the city.
The passage early Saturday comes after a provision to transfer control of the land from the federal government to D.C. was removed from Congress' slimmed-down, short-term spending bill as lawmakers raced to pass it before a government shutdown.
Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris praised the passage, saying in a statement: "We are extremely grateful that our elected officials have come together on a bipartisan basis to give Washington D.C. the opportunity to decide on the future of the RFK stadium site. This bill will create an even playing field so that all potential future locations for the home of the Washington Commanders can be fairly considered and give our franchise the opportunity to provide the best experience for all of our fans."
Gov. Wes Moore spoke with News4's JP Finlay at the Washington Commanders' game on Sunday and said that the bill was the "right decision" and it was the fastest, most efficient way of increasing the fan experience. Because of the bill, Moore said he's excited to be able to compete to keep the Commanders in Maryland.
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"No matter what, Maryland is going to be okay and that was our number one priority," Moore said. "Wherever the Washington Commanders end up, whether it's where they should be --- in Maryland --- or even if they go to Washington D.C., we'd be perfectly fine with that. But it's important for people to know that the future of this area, no matter what is going to be better than what it is right now," Moore said.
The Commanders are considering locations in the District, Maryland and Virginia to build a stadium in the coming years. Their lease at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, runs through 2027, and Harris called 2030 a “reasonable target” for a new one.
The team played at RFK Stadium two miles east of the Capitol from 1961 to 1996 before moving to Maryland. Harris and several co-owners, including Mitch Rales and Mark Ein, grew up as Washington football fans during that era, which included the glory days of three Super Bowl championships between 1982 and 1991.
The bill will transfer administrative jurisdiction of the RFK site from the Secretary of the Interior to the D.C. government. While the federal government will still own the land, D.C. will be able to redevelop the land for a stadium, commercial and residential development and other public purposes, according to the office of U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, who introduced the bill.
"The Senate's passage of the D.C. RFK Stadium Campus Revitalization Act is a historic moment for our nation's capital," Comer said in a statement Saturday. "If Congress failed to act today, this decaying land in Washington would continue to cost taxpayers a fortune to maintain. Revitalizing this RFK Memorial Stadium site has been a top economic priority for the city, and I am proud to have partnered with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to get this bill across the finish line and to the President's desk."
The U.S. House passed the bill in February. With the bill's passage in the Senate as well, it now heads to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.
"This is a win for DC, for our region, and for America," Bowser wrote in a social media post Saturday morning. "Everybody loves a good comeback story -- and that's DC's story."
Sen. Ben Cardin called the bill a "friendly competition" to News4's JP Finlay at the Commanders' game on Sunday. Cardin said that the bill had a lot of ups and downs but they were able to discuss key Maryland issues like the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
News4 is awaiting comment from D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.
Maryland representative Glenn Ivey, whose district includes Northwest Stadium, has pushed a plan to keep the Commanders and build a new stadium in Prince George's County, next to the old one with spin-off development.
He released a statement saying, in part, "Maryland should have the chance to compete to keep the Commanders here… Our site offers two nearby Metro stations, superior highway access, and a larger campus for parking. Working closely with the Harris team--which owns much of the land around the stadium--we could create an economic win-win that would benefit the community, the region, the team, and the fans. Maryland looks forward to working with the Harris team to make that vision a reality.”
