The Washington Commanders released the first conceptual renderings of RFK Stadium and its new look on Thursday after construction crews finished demolishing the Washington, D.C., landmark.
The NFL football team released the images in conjunction with HKS, a Texas-based architecture firm that was tapped to lead the stadium’s revamped design. The renderings show a more classical look with grand columns, as desired by President Donald Trump and his allies overseeing work on the project.
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In a statement released Thursday morning, Commanders President Mark Clouse described the first visuals of the new stadium as a “defining milestone in the next phase of the development process.”
Construction on the RFK Stadium is expected to finish by the 2030 NFL season. Once completed, the venue will be able to host up to 70,000 football fans. Vertical construction is anticipated to start in spring 2027.
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The Commanders are contributing about $2.7 billion to fund the stadium project for four years, while the D.C. government provides over $1 billion in public funds. Mayor Muriel Bowser played a key role in convincing the team to return to the district and getting the D.C. Council to approve the plan.
“We are deeply grateful to the District and the Mayor for their leadership, collaboration, and continued support, which have been instrumental in bringing this vision to life,” Clouse said.
“We’re designing a stadium that amplifies the energy of football, supports year-round events and becomes a place the community can be proud of,” he added. “We look forward to hearing feedback from our community as the design continues to evolve.”
Since 1997, the professional football team has played home games at the Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The RFK Stadium was the Commanders’ original home.
Bowser expressed excitement about the stadium’s prospects, providing entertainment and jobs for residents in the district.
“These renderings give DC a lot to look forward to – a beautiful and unique waterfront stadium and the return of our Commanders; year-round events that are steps away from an entertainment district and public transportation; and, of course, jobs for DC residents and new opportunities for DC businesses,” Bowser said.
“I’m grateful for the shared commitment from both the Commanders and HKS to designing an iconic stadium that honors the history of our city – and our skyline – while also being a true catalyst for future opportunity at the RFK campus,” she added.
Aside from the mayor, Trump also got involved in the Commanders’ stadium deal by leveraging federal control over D.C. to pressure the city’s council to seal the deal. Initially hesitant about the agreement, the council ultimately approved it in September.
Next steps included working out the concept and schematic design principles before presenting the plans to the D.C. government in a series of community engagement meetings. The Commanders said additional meetings are planned through January.
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A classical design for the RFK Stadium has been pushed by Will Scharf, the Trump-appointed chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, which plays an advisory role in the project’s design. At a meeting this month, Scharf said he hopes the capital can return to “classical antiquity” in its architecture. The commission is overseeing development on Trump’s proposed ballroom and arch.
While he hasn’t explicitly commented on a classical look for the RFK Stadium, Trump is a fan of the aesthetic as seen in his executive order to promote classical architecture for federal buildings.
