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

David Mendelsohn
Rose Garr
Andrew Strickler
Aaron Merchen
jh bailes
Azadeh Meshkaty
Frank McCann
Harriet Newman
Brenda Tobe
Emir Arslanagic
Mary E Gosselink
William Larson
Jan Shea
Esther Konrad
kara lilian
Ligia Markman
Jeffrey Baker
Richard Stirba
Kelly French
Nathan Cobb
Arthur Chambers
Julia Skapik
Dorothy Garcia
Joel Church
Christopher McCrea
Susanna McCrea
Haley Barry
Emily Heller
Meghan O’Brien
Dingus Malingus
4,003 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • David Mendelsohn
    signed 2019-09-06 16:49:50 -0400
  • Rose Garr
    signed 2019-09-06 16:48:57 -0400
  • Andrew Strickler
    signed 2019-09-06 16:43:02 -0400
    Please don’t blow an amazing opportunity to build something all of D.C. can use and enjoy year-round, not just a few Sundays a year.
  • Aaron Merchen
    signed 2019-09-06 16:33:49 -0400
  • jh bailes
    signed 2019-09-06 16:27:15 -0400
    go Charles!
  • Azadeh Meshkaty
    signed 2019-09-06 16:23:15 -0400
  • Frank McCann
    signed 2019-09-06 16:22:59 -0400
    When there are no events the space around the stadium is empty, dead, and ugly. As part of the nation’s capital the area is a disgrace, that most tourists walking the Mall and visiting museums never see. This is a chance to make an important residential area more livable and alive.
  • Harriet Newman
    signed 2019-09-06 16:19:18 -0400
  • Brenda Tobe
    signed 2019-09-06 16:17:15 -0400
  • Emir Arslanagic
    signed 2019-09-06 15:58:54 -0400
  • Mary E Gosselink
    signed 2019-09-06 15:54:50 -0400
  • William Larson
    signed 2019-09-06 15:52:44 -0400
    I will vote and donate against anyone who supports a new NFL stadium in the district. End of story.
  • Jan Shea
    signed 2019-09-06 15:48:37 -0400
  • Esther Konrad
    signed 2019-09-06 15:48:22 -0400
  • kara lilian
    signed 2019-09-06 15:42:07 -0400
  • Ligia Markman
    signed 2019-09-06 15:41:53 -0400
  • Jeffrey Baker
    signed 2019-09-06 15:40:54 -0400
  • Richard Stirba
    signed 2019-09-06 15:40:34 -0400
  • Kelly French
    signed 2019-09-06 15:31:42 -0400
  • Nathan Cobb
    signed 2019-09-06 15:30:49 -0400
  • Arthur Chambers
    signed 2019-09-06 11:07:29 -0400
  • Julia Skapik
    signed 2019-09-06 03:18:50 -0400
  • Dorothy Garcia
    signed 2019-09-03 15:59:06 -0400
    Seriously? How about putting the money back into the neighborhood instead? There’s no shortage of possible improvement plans, why would we put one penny towards another one of Dan Snyder’s ventures?
  • Joel Church
    signed 2019-09-03 15:51:53 -0400
    Joel K Church
  • Christopher McCrea
    signed via 2019-09-03 15:35:00 -0400
  • Susanna McCrea
    signed via 2019-09-02 22:50:23 -0400
  • Haley Barry
    signed via 2019-09-02 21:21:56 -0400
  • Emily Heller
    signed 2019-08-28 13:48:03 -0400
  • Meghan O’Brien
    signed 2019-07-16 15:50:16 -0400
    Meghan E O’Brien
  • Dingus Malingus
    signed 2019-05-20 09:10:38 -0400
    This idea is as stupid as my name