RFK Now! Applauds Final Passage of RFK Campus Redevelopment Act
DC Council Approves Historic Deal to Create Housing, Jobs, Economic Opportunity
WASHINGTON, DC — RFK Now!, the grassroots campaign mobilizing support for the return of the Washington Commanders to the RFK Memorial Stadium site, celebrates today’s final passage of the “Robert F. Kennedy Campus Redevelopment Act of 2025.”
With this vote, the District has secured a landmark deal: 6,000 units of new housing, including 30% committed affordable housing, thousands of union jobs, acres of green space, $50 million in direct community benefits and a state-of-the-art sports complex for DC youth, all while bringing the Commanders home in time for the 2030 season.
“This once-in-a-generation deal will benefit District residents for decades to come,” said Malcom Fox, Executive Director of Opportunity DC and Organizer of RFK Now! “The $3.7B investment in Ward 7 will help create the housing, jobs and small businesses necessary to ensure more District residents can afford to live here and have the opportunities to thrive.”
RFK Now! extends special thanks to Mayor Muriel Bowser, whose leadership and persistence carried this deal over the goal line, and to Chairman Phil Mendelson for negotiating improvements that strengthened the city’s return on investment and ensured a timely vote. The campaign also recognizes the Councilmembers who supported the deal from the start — and those who joined in the end — for making the right choice for DC residents instead of playing politics.
Community leaders who served as campaign co-chairs applauded today’s historic decision:
As the founder of two small businesses in the District, I know economic opportunity when I see it. This deal isn’t just about football — it’s about the jobs, housing, and growth our neighborhoods need. Today’s vote will benefit families like mine for generations.” – Tiffany Tate, Brightwood resident, Ward 4
“Sports are part of my DNA. And our city’s DNA. As a proud DC resident and small business owner, I’ve seen firsthand the impact that partnership and community investment can do to transform lives. Bringing the Commanders home is about more than football — it’s about economic vitality and opportunity.” – Susan Shorters, Ward 3
“This is more than a victory for football — it is a victory for dignity, opportunity and belonging. The working men and women of this city have always carried its weight, and now they will also help shape its future. Today’s vote affirms that when DC invests in its people, it invests in its strength, its pride and its promise. This is proof that progress is not just possible, but inevitable when community and opportunity walk hand in hand.” – Socrates Cala, Riggs Park
Over the course of the campaign, RFK Now! canvassers knocked on more than 10,000 doors, facilitated more than 6,000 resident emails and hundreds of calls to Council offices and elevated voices from across all eight wards. Time and again, residents made clear: they want more housing, more jobs and their team back home.
“This is a proud day for the District and all residents who want more housing, jobs and thriving businesses,” Fox added.
ABOUT RFK NOW!
RFK Now! is an initiative of Opportunity DC, a 501c(4) organization dedicated to increasing economic opportunity through commonsense public policy in the District of Columbia. To learn more, visit https://rfknow.team/ and follow us on Instagram at @rfk_now.
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