DC residents have one week left to weigh in on the plan to transform the RFK Stadium campus, anchored by a $2.7 billion Commanders stadium, into a 180-acre mixed-use neighborhood with thousands of homes and miles of Anacostia riverfront access.

The deadline is Friday, Aug. 14.

The 45-day public comment period on the draft RFK Campus Master Plan closes that day. Written comments can be submitted online at publicinput.com/rfkmasterplan or by email at [email protected].

Mayor Muriel Bowser hosted the first in-person public hearing on the draft plan Saturday, Aug. 1, at St. Coletta of Greater Washington, 1901 Independence Ave. SE. The four-hour session, which ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., gave residents a chance to testify directly to DC Office of Planning staff. No recap has been released.

A second opportunity to speak with planning staff in person is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 8, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Road NE.

What the plan proposes

The DC Office of Planning released the draft master plan on June 30, opening the comment window. The blueprint would organize the 180-acre site along the Anacostia River into six districts: the Stadium District, Plaza District, Riverfront District, Kingman Commons, Recreation District and a 30-acre natural riparian zone called Anacostia Commons.

Key numbers in the plan:

  • 5,500 to 6,500 new housing units, at least 30% affordable
  • 6 to 8 million square feet of mixed-use development including retail, hotels, office space and a youth sportsplex
  • At least $2.7 billion in private investment from the Washington Commanders for the new stadium, which the District calls the largest private investment in DC history
  • An estimated 30,000 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs
  • Roughly $24.2 billion in projected total economic output and $5.1 billion in tax revenue for the District

Residents want details

Not everyone is satisfied with the level of detail in the draft. Kingman Park resident Alexis Pazmino told HillRag in late July that it was "hard to know what we're commenting on" because important technical studies and implementation decisions are still pending.

The master plan is not a construction document. It does not commit to specific tenants, exact building timelines or the full contents of the sportsplex. A traffic analysis and game-day operations plan are being developed separately.

Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker noted in a July 10 newsletter that the plan "reflects community input gathered so far, but additional feedback is sought before the proposal is finalized this fall."

What happens next

After the comment period closes Aug. 14, the Office of Planning will refine the master plan and transmit it to the DC Council later in 2026. Zoning text and map amendments would follow in 2027. The site must be rezoned before construction can begin.

Mayor Bowser said on X on Aug. 1 that the hearing marked the one-year anniversary of the DC Council's first vote on the RFK Stadium deal, adding that the District is "getting ready for 2030, when the Commanders finally come home."

Advisory Neighborhood Commissions may also submit formal resolutions before the Aug. 14 deadline.