District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled new renderings of the proposed stadium for the Washington Commanders on Tuesday, emphasizing expanded green space and neighborhood integration as a part of the project’s vision.
The latest images, released after an initial batch in January, offer aerial views of the redesigned RFK campus and a closer look at surrounding development. “The activated RFK campus will build on our reputation as a green city with the #1 park system in the nation,” Bowser said in a statement on X.
Roughly 30% of the 180-acre site would be dedicated to parks and open space, designed to attract visitors beyond game days and create a year-round destination.
Plans for the campus include a 65,000-seat roofed stadium, a festival plaza, and a mix of housing, restaurants, parks, open space, and neighborhood amenities intended to integrate the development into the surrounding community.
The design, led by HKS Architects, draws inspiration from the legacy of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium while emphasizing “openness, continuity and shared experience,” according to a statement from HKS Architects. A continuous colonnade is intended to connect the stadium’s interior with public space and reinforce its role as a “civic landmark.”
Each column in the structure will feature eight flutes blended into one, symbolizing the district’s eight wards, according to Bowser.
Construction on the stadium is expected to conclude in time for the 2030 NFL season.
The project carries a mutibillion-dollar price tag, with the Commanders contributing about $2.7 billion and the local government providing more than $1 billion in public funding. Bowser was largely influential in convincing the team to return to the district.
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Since 1997, the Commanders have played their home games in Landover, Maryland. RFK Stadium, however, was the original home of the team.
“Monumental in presence, grounded in the L’Enfant Plan and scaled to the urban fabric of the District, the stadium design will be a bold civic landmark,” said Mark Williams, HKS Global Venues director, adding that it aims to carry forward Washington’s architectural legacy in a “confident, dynamic” way.
