The D.C. Council missed the deadline to take up a vote on the proposed redevelopment of the RFK Stadium site, putting the future of the $3.7 billion project in jeopardy. Both Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Washington Commanders were hoping for the deal to be approved by Tuesday.
The deadline marked the end of an exclusivity window with the Commanders, who are seeking to return to D.C. The deal would let the NFL franchise build a new stadium, team offices and parking garages at the old RFK Stadium site.
While the council gave preliminary approval to the fiscal year 2026 budget Monday, including $1 billion set aside for the football stadium, it left out language that would have made the term sheet legally binding. A separate bill formalizing the deal is scheduled for public hearings later this month.
Council chair Phil Mendelson said over the weekend that he had held “a number of meetings” with team representatives, and described those meetings as “very productive, pleasant and constructive.”
In a news conference Monday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser stressed her commitment to bringing business and industry to the District, and added that “without the terms of the deal, there is no deal.”
