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

Nicole Gilmore
Robert Southern
Tom Woteki
Jennifer Shields
Amanda ONeil
Evan Brennan
Opal Boyer
Mary McCue
Gregory Matlesky
Broadway Jackson III
Claudia Kim
Keith Ivey
Erin O'Connor
Emily Russel
Marc Friend
Ann Grace
Robert Tillett
Dina Michels
Jenna Irwin
Nancy Ricks
Elisabeth Kidder
Matthew Kirkland
Morgan Givens
Roman Goldstein
Erin Hemlin
Kirsten Keating
Bill Sullivan
Mike Carvalho
James Harnett
4,003 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Nicole Gilmore
    signed 2018-12-14 16:27:58 -0500
  • Robert Southern
    signed 2018-12-14 16:27:51 -0500
  • Tom Woteki
    signed 2018-12-14 16:27:26 -0500
    #HailNo The property should be turned over to DC for its citizens too decide how it should be developed. Parkland, recreation, housing and retail are its proper use. I strenuously object top Dan Snyder trying to do an end run around the community. He doesn’t even lie here.
  • Jennifer Shields
    signed 2018-12-14 16:26:55 -0500
    Jennifer Shields
  • Amanda ONeil
    signed via 2018-12-14 16:25:10 -0500
    Amanda ONeil
  • Opal Boyer
    @opalina100 tweeted link to this page. 2018-12-14 16:24:34 -0500
    Sign the petition: Hail No to a New Stadium at RFK - Add Your Name Below https://www.hailnorfk.com/?recruiter_id=1217537
  • Evan Brennan
    signed via 2018-12-14 16:24:00 -0500
  • Opal Boyer
    signed 2018-12-14 16:24:00 -0500
    I do not feel the team should receive any benefit, let alone public benefit, until they change their demeaning name and logo. As a Native American I find the name incredibly offensive and cruel!
  • Mary McCue
    signed 2018-12-14 16:23:09 -0500
  • Gregory Matlesky
    signed 2018-12-14 16:19:06 -0500
    We want new neighbors, not a parking lot!
  • Broadway Jackson III
    signed 2018-12-14 16:18:56 -0500
  • Claudia Kim
    signed 2018-12-14 16:18:38 -0500
  • Keith Ivey
    signed 2018-12-14 16:17:24 -0500
  • Erin O'Connor
    signed 2018-12-14 16:17:03 -0500
    Erin O’Connor
  • Emily Russel
    signed via 2018-12-14 16:16:39 -0500
  • Marc Friend
    signed 2018-12-14 16:16:08 -0500
  • Ann Grace
    signed 2018-12-14 16:15:29 -0500
  • Robert Tillett
    signed via 2018-12-14 16:15:00 -0500
  • Dina Michels
    signed 2018-12-14 16:14:41 -0500
  • Jenna Irwin
    signed via 2018-12-14 16:13:26 -0500
  • Nancy Ricks
    signed 2018-12-14 16:11:06 -0500
  • Elisabeth Kidder
    signed via 2018-12-14 16:09:47 -0500
  • Matthew Kirkland
    signed 2018-12-14 16:09:33 -0500
  • Morgan Givens
    signed 2018-12-14 16:06:53 -0500
    With the growing lack of affordable housing in DC, they’ve GOT to be kidding me with this. NO!
  • Roman Goldstein
    signed 2018-12-14 16:06:50 -0500
  • Erin Hemlin
    signed 2018-12-14 16:06:45 -0500
    I am absolutely against bringing a football stadium back to RFK. The community is too residential and cannot sustain 60,000 stadium-goers every Sunday in the fall. Not to mention the incredibly racist name that brings shame to DC.
  • Kirsten Keating
    signed via 2018-12-14 16:05:08 -0500
  • Bill Sullivan
    signed 2018-12-14 16:05:06 -0500
  • Mike Carvalho
    signed via 2018-12-14 16:05:00 -0500
  • James Harnett
    signed 2018-12-14 16:04:37 -0500