Hail No to a New Stadium at RFK - Add Your Name Below

Read my August 1, 2023 op-ed in the Washington Post.

If you believe the 190 acres of RFK's campus could be more than the next NFL stadium, say #HailNo and sign this petition below:

"As a DC resident, I am against a deal that gives away a single square foot of land or a single District tax dollar to build a new stadium.

  • I believe the 190 acres alongside the Anacostia River could be so much more than oceans of asphalt for surface parking and a 60,000 seat stadium.

  • On average, most NFL stadiums only hold 10 to 20 events annually outside of eight NFL home games, meaning the stadium sits empty more than 300 days a year. An enormous space that sits empty doesn’t spur economic growth or create meaingful jobs and doesn’t help the surrounding community.

  • Make no mistake - people drive to NFL games and they're going to park somewhere, regardless of how much is available. At San Francisco's new stadium, they had to rent out all of the parking lots at a nearby amusement park. Where do you think people will park around RFK if there isn't enough parking for fans?

  • Nationwide, since 1997 we've seen the NFL pit communities against each other while collecting more than $6.7 billion dollars from taxpayers to build stadiums for privately-owned teams. Overall, local taxpayers end up footing around half the bill for a new NFL stadium.  

  • The costs of these projects are always higher than estimated. The five most recent newly-constructed NFL stadiums have surpassed more than $1 billion dollars each!

  • As a DC resident, I don't want to see DC hoodwinked into paying for a billionaire's stadium. The District needs our tax dollars to create new housing at all levels, support local DC entrepreneurs who run small and local business, take urgent steps forward to shift to a 100% clean energy environment, build larger and modern schools for our growing city, fund our Metro system, and in general spend money to make life better and easier for DC residents.

  • Sitting on the banks of the historic Anacostia River, a new stadium and all of the traffic and trash that would come along, would set the Anacostia River's improvement back. RFK has never had to meet standards set by the National Environmental Policy Act, and I am concerned any deal worked out under the outgoing Congress would try to extend the exemption to holding the site accountable to environmental standards.

Dedicating millions of dollars to bring an NFL stadium to the District is a bad deal and a poor use of an incredible opportunity. 

Thank you."

Who's signing

rex weil
Richard Vilmenay
Michele Pratt
Tarek Anandan
Krista Schlyer
Nishan Halim
Amy Mcnamara
Claudia Mazzara
Neal Pratt
Stacy Lee
Beth Antunez
Piper Largent
Allen Mikaelian
Ben Rockey-Harris
Miranda Chien-Hale
Gary Markowski
Kei Tolliver
Jessica Tieman
Gina Sangster
Amber Jones
Carol Press
Lisa Cannon
Sheila Walter
Daniel Abraham
Sharlene Castle
Stephan Bonnaire
Patrick Cavanagh
Evan Oxhorn
Jean-Marc Bernard
4,002 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • rex weil
    signed 2019-09-09 11:43:15 -0400
  • Richard Vilmenay
    signed 2019-09-09 11:12:13 -0400
  • Michele Pratt
    signed 2019-09-09 10:51:29 -0400
  • Tarek Anandan
    signed 2019-09-09 09:16:02 -0400
  • krista schlyer
    @kristaschlyer tweeted link to this page. 2019-09-09 09:00:04 -0400
    Sign the petition: Hail No to a New Stadium at RFK - Add Your Name Below https://www.hailnorfk.com/?recruiter_id=1063217
  • Krista Schlyer
    signed 2019-09-09 08:59:33 -0400
  • Nishan Halim
    signed 2019-09-09 08:59:32 -0400
  • Amy Mcnamara
    signed via 2019-09-08 23:41:42 -0400
  • Claudia Mazzara
    signed via 2019-09-08 22:20:42 -0400
    Leave rfk stadium alone

    Let’s honor his name and keep his legacy alive..
  • Neal Pratt
    signed 2019-09-08 22:17:25 -0400
  • Stacy Lee
    signed 2019-09-08 20:53:55 -0400
  • Beth Antunez
    signed via 2019-09-08 19:36:44 -0400
  • Piper Largent
    signed 2019-09-08 19:13:52 -0400
  • Allen Mikaelian
    signed 2019-09-08 18:30:32 -0400
    The new soccer and baseball fields are a step in the right direction—and are already much-loved by this community. An NFL stadium would be a step back.
  • Ben Rockey-Harris
    signed 2019-09-08 17:54:37 -0400
    ben rockey harris
  • Miranda Chien-Hale
    signed 2019-09-08 17:54:31 -0400
  • Gary Markowski
    signed via 2019-09-08 13:46:06 -0400
  • Kei Tolliver
    signed 2019-09-08 12:58:50 -0400
  • Jessica Tieman
    signed 2019-09-08 12:11:55 -0400
    Jessica Tieman
  • Gina Sangster
    signed 2019-09-08 07:01:40 -0400
  • Amber Jones
    signed 2019-09-08 02:40:33 -0400
    We live next to Barracks Row at 8th and E. The traffic increased exponentially in southeast DC since the ballpark and Navy Yard residences were built, then again when the soccer stadium and Wharf in SW went up. We avoid taking our car anywhere because it takes a half hour just to get out of the city on any of the bridges in any direction except east. Another stadium in that direction would be the deal-breaker; we would be homebound, trapped, imprisoned in our neighborhood, never able to drive anywhere, and forced to move out of DC to regain our freedom.


    Traffic on DC 295 is already a nightmare, at a standstill more frequently than not. Before a baseball, hockey, or soccer game, it is impossible to get into the city for anything else, and after the game vice versa. Why would the city of DC be insane enough to add a fourth stadium???!!


    In addition, Barracks Row attracts hundreds of baseball fans parking and dining in our neighborhood, competing for our extremely limited on-street parking, then walking or taking Circulator the one mile to the ballpark. Large events at RFK would also bring cars to our neighborhood to compete for parking; even though it seems like a long distance—12 blocks—it is only a little over a mile, and we see many people walking to and from the stadium already for some events.
  • Carol Press
    signed 2019-09-07 20:40:43 -0400
  • Lisa Cannon
    signed 2019-09-07 19:21:48 -0400
  • Sheila Walter
    signed 2019-09-07 18:13:17 -0400
  • Daniel Abraham
    signed 2019-09-07 17:22:17 -0400
  • Sharlene Castle
    signed via 2019-09-07 17:13:30 -0400
  • Stephan Bonnaire
    signed 2019-09-07 16:53:15 -0400
  • Patrick Cavanagh
    signed 2019-09-07 16:47:30 -0400
    No public funds for Dan Snyder or the redskins football organization.
  • Evan Oxhorn
    signed 2019-09-07 16:16:17 -0400
  • Jean-Marc Bernard
    signed 2019-09-07 14:37:58 -0400