Commanders' potential D.C. return takes big hit

ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders‘ ability to return to the District of Columbia suffered a critical blow when a provision that would have given the city control of the land was excluded from a spending bill that passed in Congress.

A provision that would have allowed Congress to transfer federal land to the district would have been a significant step toward the Commanders building a stadium in the city. However, the provision, included in the first iteration of the bill Tuesday, was removed and not included in the final version that passed Friday.

It would have given the city control of more than 170 acres in the district at the site that still houses RFK Stadium, where Washington played from 1961 to ’96. The franchise won three Super Bowls from 1982 to ’91.

It was not a guarantee that the Commanders would have built a stadium there, but one source said it would have greatly increased their chances of doing so. It still would have needed approval from the D.C council, and funding would need to be negotiated. Team officials had talked with members of Congress about the provision.

The organization’s other option remains building at the site of its current stadium in Landover, Maryland. The Commanders already own the land, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has said the state would commit $400 million to revitalize the area around the stadium.

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser had told ESPN that her vision for the site not only included a stadium for the Commanders but also housing and a recreation center, among other projects. She said her goal would be to lure major sporting events to the city.

The provision would have leased the land to the city for another 99 years. They currently have 14 years remaining on the current lease, but Bowser told reporters Thursday that’s not a long enough lease to secure the necessary funding for a stadium.

The provision was dropped after Elon Musk, an adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, reposted information that included an inaccurate headline stating the bill included “$3 billion for a new stadium in D.C.” There was no mention of money in the provision.

Commanders owner Josh Harris has said they’d like to have a new stadium by 2030, though that’s not a firm deadline. They could wait to see if Congress revisits the issue in its next session. The provision did have bipartisan support — it was introduced by Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.)

“I don’t know if there’s another path this session,” Bowser said Thursday. “We’ve done all we’re supposed to do, and this is the vehicle that has been identified — and agreed to by Democrats and Republicans. Have you been to RFK? Anybody? [It is] 177 acres surrounded by asphalt and a stadium that hasn’t been used in 10 years that is a blight on the nation’s capital. Now, I agree with the president-elect on this point: We want to make our nation’s capital the most beautiful capital in the world, so we have to move and free RFK.”