Commanders given final approval for D.C. return

ASHBURN, VA. -- The Commanders' return to Washington is finally official as the District of Columbia Council voted in favor of the measure once more -- an expected outcome given its vote more than a month ago.

The council voted 11-2 on Wednesday to approve the RFK Stadium Project, allowing the team to return to the site it called home for more than three decades.

But a vote that had been considered a formality included last-minute requests that Commanders president Mark Clouse said could have jeopardized the agreement.

The council already had approved the measure in a 9-3 vote on Aug. 1. After that vote, the Commanders were able to start planning their next steps to build a stadium on the site. However, earlier Wednesday, Clouse sent a letter to Council Chairman Phil Mendelson expressing concern over "last-minute" new demands -- including an amendment that called for a $10 million penalty per year if the Commanders did not meet the timeline to build housing -- that threatened the project.

That amendment, one of 12, was ultimately rejected by the council.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, also in a letter to Mendelson, cautioned the council about imposing "additional penalties or requirements that could undermine the District's ability to close the deal."

Clouse wrote in the letter that less than 24 hours before the final vote, the team was presented with a "list of unworkable and impractical new last-minute demands by Councilmembers, which we simply cannot agree to as it jeopardizes the deal." Clouse said the unions that will be working on the project were uncomfortable with the proposed changes.

"Today is a historic day for D.C., the Commanders organization, and our fans," owner Josh Harris said in a statement. "With the Council's approval, we can now move forward on the transformative RFK project that will bring lasting economic growth for our city. This achievement wouldn't have been possible without the dedication and collaboration between Mayor Bowser, Chairman Mendelson, the Council and the countless community, business and labor leaders whose voices and input helped shape the process every step of the way.

"We are deeply grateful for the warm return to the District and the center of the DMV, and look forward to officially bringing the team back to its spiritual home in 2030."

The Commanders will invest $2.7 billion -- and cover the cost overruns -- to build the 65,000-seat stadium. The district will contribute $1 billion.

The team has long targeted 2030 as the year a stadium must open, in large part so it could host big events such as the Women's World Cup in 2031.

Washington announced a deal with the city to build a stadium at the site where RFK Stadium -- its home from 1961 to 1996 -- still sits. The 174-acre property will become a mixed-use facility with housing developments, a sports complex and retail shops. The stadium will be domed, and although the Commanders haven't ruled out a retractable roof, the cost of one -- plus the possible returns -- likely will be prohibitive, a source with knowledge of the situation said this summer.

Bowser told ESPN in July that the team could start infrastructure work in the "early part of next year and get shovels in the ground this time next year."

"It is with great pride that I can say we are officially bringing our Commanders home and turning 180 acres of land on the banks of the Anacostia, on the monumental axis, into jobs and opportunity for DC residents," Bowser said in a statement after Wednesday's vote. "This will be the largest economic development project in DC history."

The old stadium has not been completely torn down yet. The site became a sentimental one for Washington fans because of the team's success during most of its time. Harris and some of his minority owners grew up in the area and have talked about going to games at RFK.

The organization played in five Super Bowls from 1972 to 1992, winning three of them. During this stretch, Washington finished with a losing record only twice. RFK provided a distinct home-field advantage, with its intimate setting and some movable stands that fans could make bounce.

But former owner Jack Kent Cooke could not get a new stadium built in the district and paid for the current one to be built in Maryland. Since opening the suburban stadium in 1997, the organization has posted only eight winning seasons and reached the postseason seven times.

Washington went 12-5 last season and reached the NFC Championship Game, where it lost to Philadelphia.

Washington currently plays in Landover, Maryland, which is nine miles from the RFK site in the district.