Mayor Bowser Proposes $60 Million in Funding for Indoor Athletic Facility at RFK Site

• March 16th 2022

by Nena Perry-Brown

Today, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled her fiscal year 2023 budget, and while it doesn't include a major pitch for a new NFL stadium, it does include some plans for the former stadium site.

The budget includes $60 million for an "indoor sports complex" that could accommodate sports training and competitions at the RFK stadium campus. The property would provide amenities to DC residents that could include climbing walls, indoor tracks, and gymnastics and boxing classes.

Mayor Bowser said at a press conference on Wednesday that the proposed complex would not mean that the site couldn't host the new stadium for the Washington Commanders. 

"The campus is on 100 acres, so a lot can happen there, including an NFL stadium," Bowser said.

In 2017, DC's pseudo-private entertainment agency Events DC proposed a sports complex as part of a suite of interim uses for the federally-owned site. The city's lease on the 190-acre site mandates sports and recreation uses, although residential and other mixed uses have also been proposed at times.

In recent weeks, both Virginia and Prince George's County have put forth either funding or visions for a new NFL stadium to replace FedEx Field after the lease expires in 2027. Earlier this week, Mayor Bowser acknowledged that the city is unlikely to be able to compete with those proposals. 

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/mayor-proposes-indoor-athletic-facility-at-rfk-site/19397.