New draft master plan reveals vision for neighborhood around future RFK stadium
New draft master plan reveals vision for neighborhood around future RFK stadium
D.C. officials have released a new draft master plan providing the first detailed look at the proposed neighborhood surrounding the future Washington Commanders stadium at the 180-acre RFK Campus.
WASHINGTON - The District has revealed its first comprehensive vision for the future of the 180-acre RFK Stadium campus, detailing a massive transformation that extends far beyond a new home for the Washington Commanders.
What we know:
A newly released draft master plan from the D.C. Office of Planning outlines a year-round, waterfront community featuring thousands of new homes, parks, retail spaces and public sports fields.
Planners say the goal is to mirror the successful multi-use development seen around Nationals Park and the Navy Yard.
While previous discussions focused primarily on the football stadium itself, the new renderings offer a look at the massive neighborhood proposed to surround it.
The master plan calls for:
- 5,500 to 6,500 new housing units, with a mandate that at least 30% be designated as affordable housing.
- A new Riverfront District along the Anacostia waterfront, providing enhanced public access to the water.
- New retail storefronts, dining and entrepreneurial spaces.
- Public parks and sports fields for community use.
What they're saying:
"Affordability is baked into and has been since Mayor Bowser announced the plan," Anita Cozart, director of the D.C. Office of Planning, told FOX 5. "With 30% of the housing in this area as affordable, we’re working toward making sure opportunities [exist] for retailers and other entrepreneurs to make their homes here in this area."
FOX 5 took the new renderings to residents living near the RFK site, where reaction to the proposal was mostly positive but tempered by heavy skepticism regarding the neighborhood's long-term future.
While some residents welcomed the plan—excited for easier river access and the positive community impact of bringing the team back to Washington—the overarching worry remains gentrification.
"I think it’s important to have new opportunities, but we can't erase the people that have lived here," one neighbor told FOX 5.
Another echoed those concerns, stating, "I think an issue would be pushing out people from the neighborhood who’ve lived here for forever and generations."
D.C. officials emphasize that the heavy housing component in the master plan was a direct result of input and feedback from the immediate RFK neighborhood.
What's next:
The city is now entering another round of public feedback.
What you can do:
Washingtonians have until August 14 to submit their thoughts on the draft master plan. Comments can be submitted online, emailed directly to the planning office or delivered in person at an upcoming public hearing scheduled for August 1, according to District officials.
Following the public comment period, a revised version of the master plan will be sent to the D.C. Council for hearings and final approval, which officials expect by the end of the year.
The Source: Information from FOX 5 D.C. reporting.