DC's 180-Acre Commanders Stadium Plan Adds Housing and Groceries
DC's 180-acre Commanders stadium development at RFK site includes mixed-income housing and a grocery store. Here's what the plan means for Capitol Hill East.
In brief
Washington DC's redevelopment plan for the 180-acre RFK Campus — future home of the Washington Commanders NFL stadium — goes far beyond football. The District's blueprint includes mixed-income housing units, a full-service grocery store, retail corridors, and public green space, positioning the site as a live-work-play destination that directly addresses decades of disinvestment in the neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
DC's RFK Campus redevelopment covers 180 acres along the Anacostia waterfront — one of the largest urban development sites on the East Coast.
The plan layers a new Washington Commanders NFL stadium with mixed-income housing, grocery retail, and public open space.
Ward 7 and the broader River East corridor, long identified as a food desert, stand to gain the most from the grocery and housing components.
Congress returned the federal RFK land to the District in 2024, clearing the legal path for development.
The project could generate billions in long-term tax revenue and thousands of construction and permanent jobs for DC residents.
What DC Is Actually Building at RFK — Beyond the Stadium
The football stadium grabs the headlines, but city planners and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) have spent months building a broader land-use framework that treats the Commanders venue as an anchor, not the whole story. The 180-acre RFK Campus plan envisions a mixed-use district that integrates residential towers, neighborhood-serving retail, a grocery store, waterfront promenades, and transit-oriented infrastructure — all wrapped around the new NFL facility.
For context: 180 acres is roughly three times the footprint of The Wharf development in Southwest DC, which itself reshaped an entire quadrant of the city over a decade. The scale here is historic, and city officials have been explicit that the goal is not a stadium suburb that goes dark on non-game days, but a neighborhood that functions 365 days a year.
The grocery component carries particular political weight. Ward 7 and Ward 8 — the Anacostia River East communities closest to the RFK site — have been designated food deserts by the DC Office of Planning for years, with residents historically forced to travel to Capitol Hill or Prince George's County for full-service supermarkets. A grocery anchor on the RFK Campus would be the most significant food-access investment east of the river in at least a generation.
How Congress Handed DC the Keys to RFK
The legal architecture making this possible came together in 2024, when Congress passed and President Biden signed legislation returning the federally held RFK Campus land to the District of Columbia. The site had been under federal jurisdiction since the 1960s, locked in a bureaucratic limbo that prevented any meaningful redevelopment for decades after RFK Memorial Stadium stopped hosting NFL games in 1996.
Mayor Muriel Bowser's administration moved quickly after the transfer, partnering with the Washington Commanders ownership group — led by Josh Harris, who purchased the franchise in 2023 — to develop a joint vision for the campus. The Commanders had long expressed interest in returning to DC from their temporary home at Northwest Stadium (FedEx Field) in Landover, Maryland, and the RFK land transfer gave both parties a credible path forward.
According to reporting by the Washington Post, the District and the Commanders are still negotiating the precise public financing structure, including how much of the stadium construction cost will be borne by DC taxpayers versus private investment. That negotiation remains one of the most watched deal-making processes at the Wilson Building this year.
Mixed-income housing is listed as a core component of the RFK Campus framework, but advocates and Council members representing Ward 7 are already pressing DMPED for specifics: What percentage of units will be affordable? At what Area Median Income (AMI) levels? Will there be permanent affordability covenants, or will income restrictions sunset after 20 or 30 years?
These are not abstract policy questions in a city where the median home sale price exceeded $600,000 in recent years and renters in neighborhoods like Brookland and Eckington have watched displacement accelerate with each new development cycle. The RFK Campus sits at the intersection of some of DC's most persistent housing equity debates — close enough to Capitol Hill to attract premium market-rate demand, but serving communities that have historically been bypassed by the city's development boom.
The DC Council's Committee on Housing, led by Councilmember Robert White, has signaled it will scrutinize any development agreement that doesn't include a meaningful affordable housing mandate. Advocates at DC Fiscal Policy Institute have previously argued that large public land dispositions should yield at least 30 percent affordable units at 60 percent AMI or below — a benchmark the RFK plan will be measured against.
The RFK Campus redevelopment is not simply a sports story or a real estate story — it's a story about what kind of city Washington wants to be east of the Anacostia River. For decades, the District's development energy concentrated in corridors like Shaw, NoMa, and The Wharf, while Wards 7 and 8 waited. The RFK plan, if executed with genuine affordability and community benefit commitments, could represent the most consequential public investment in River East in the post-Barry era.
The political stakes are equally high. Mayor Bowser's legacy — and the ambitions of potential successors watching from the Wilson Building and the DC Council — will be shaped in part by whether this development delivers for longtime DC residents or primarily benefits incoming residents and corporate stakeholders. The grocery store detail, small as it sounds relative to a billion-dollar stadium, is the kind of tangible community benefit that DC voters remember.
The fiscal case for the RFK Campus redevelopment is substantial. A fully built-out mixed-use district of this scale could generate an estimated $1 billion or more in annual economic activity, according to comparable stadium-anchored developments in other major cities. The stadium alone — if financed with a structure similar to the $1.5 billion Capital One Arena renovation framework floated for the NHL's Capitals and NBA's Wizards — would rank among the largest single capital projects in DC history.
Construction employment projections from the DC Building Industry Association suggest a project of this scale could support 10,000 or more construction jobs at peak, with permanent employment in retail, hospitality, and stadium operations adding thousands more. Whether DC's First Source hiring requirements translate those numbers into jobs for Ward 7 and Ward 8 residents will be a key accountability metric.
The DC Council's legislative information system will be the place to watch as development agreements, zoning amendments, and budget authorizations move through the legislative calendar. Expect significant Council activity through late 2026.
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FAQ: DC's Commanders Stadium and RFK Campus Development
Q: Where exactly is the RFK Campus located in DC? A: The RFK Campus sits on 180 acres along the Anacostia River waterfront in the Capitol Hill East neighborhood, near the DC-Maryland border. It's accessible via the Stadium-Armory Metro station on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.
Q: When will the Commanders stadium at RFK be built? A: No official groundbreaking date has been announced as of 2026. The District and the Commanders are still finalizing a development and financing agreement. Construction timelines for projects of this scale typically run 3-5 years from groundbreaking, meaning a realistic opening would be no earlier than the late 2020s.
Q: Will the RFK Campus development include affordable housing? A: The District's plan includes mixed-income housing, but specific affordability percentages and AMI targets have not been publicly finalized. DC Council members and housing advocates are actively pushing for binding affordability commitments in the development agreement.
Q: Why does the grocery store matter so much to this development? A: Wards 7 and 8, the communities closest to the RFK site, have long been classified as food deserts with limited access to full-service supermarkets. A grocery anchor on the campus would address one of the most persistent quality-of-life gaps for River East residents.
Q: Who owns the RFK Campus land? A: Congress returned the federally held RFK land to the District of Columbia in 2024, giving DC full authority to plan and execute the redevelopment.
Q: How will DC pay for the stadium? A: The public-private financing structure is still being negotiated between the Bowser administration and the Commanders ownership group led by Josh Harris. The DC Council must approve any financing deal that involves public funds.
The bottom line: DC's 180-acre RFK Campus plan is the most ambitious single development project the District has undertaken in decades. The Commanders stadium is the headline, but the grocery store, mixed-income housing, and public waterfront amenities are where the community impact will actually be felt — especially for the long-underserved neighborhoods of River East. Whether the final development agreement delivers on those promises is the political and policy question that will define the project's legacy.
What to Watch Next: Track the DC Council's review of the development agreement term sheet, expected to move through committee in late 2026. Watch for DMPED to release updated community benefit schedules and affordable housing commitments. And follow the ongoing negotiations over stadium financing — the split between public subsidy and private investment will set a precedent for how DC structures major sports deals for years to come. Follow Power Moves and Politics on WDCM for continuous updates.
Reporting drawn from: Washington Examiner. Washington DC Magazine provides original analysis, DC-specific context, and editorial perspective beyond the source material.This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by WDCM editorial staff. Washington DC Magazine is committed to accuracy, transparency, and editorial integrity. If you believe any information in this article requires correction, please contact editor@washingtondcmagazine.com.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
