Residents opposed to the proposal for a new Washington Commanders stadium at the [old RFK site in Northeast D.C.](https://www.nbcwashington.com/tag/rfk-stadium/) expressed concerns at a forum Monday evening.
Many at the forum in Ward 7 opposed the plan to spend more than $1 billion of public funds on the project.
“We're asking them to pay $1 a year for lease,” Ward 7 resident John Capozzi pointed out. “I mean, I think we can do a little bit better than that.”
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Ebony Payne, who grew up in Ward 7 and ran for the Ward 7 Council seat last year, said the site is more than just a dilapidated stadium.
“Our farmer's market, our skate park, our pole-vaulting facility,” she said. “So, it's really, despite what a lot of people think, it's not just an empty lot that's rotting. There is a lot of community activity that happens here.”
Ward 7 Councilmember Wendell Felder hosted a town hall where community members were able go ask questions and learn more about the multibillion-dollar proposal to bring the Commanders back to D.C. News4's Walter Morris reports.
Payne has concerns about the impact the proposed development will have on her neighbors — particularly the proposed multilevel parking garages for 8,000 cars.
“So, whether you are for or against a stadium, they just don't want to see parking garages directly on the community. It really cuts us off from the Anacostia River,” she said. “It cuts us off from all of the recreational resources.”
Payne, like Capozzi and others, has concerns about the price tag to residents.
“People have a lot of questions about what are they actually going to get for their taxpayer investment,” she said.
“I hear a lot of people say it's gonna bring a lot of revenue to the city, but they just don't understand that the city is not keeping that revenue,” Payne said. “So, I think our city Council really needs to do more in terms of pushing for revenue sharing, making sure that we're making investments in things like our recreational center. Actually making real investments in public safety as part of this package and also investing in a Metro stop. That's something that the community is much more eager to see.”
She hopes the members of the D.C. Council and the team ownership will listen to those residents who will be most impacted by whatever happens at the RFK campus.
“I'm for making sure that the community's voice is at the forefront of the conversation and that we're not lost in the mix of all of this and all of the excitement,” Payne said.
More community meetings are in the works over the coming months, including D.C. Council hearings, but the deadline for Council approval is mid-July. So far, Mayor Muriel Bowser has not sent any stadium legislation or next year’s budget to the Council for its consideration.
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