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

Scott Williamson
Jeffrey Gruber
Daniel Joseph
Andrew McCormack
Gillian Evans
Ken Petersen
Drew Saunders
Juliet Armerding
Steven Francis
Charles Waldmann
Raashi Parihar
Ryan Doherty
Aaron Chaletzky
Jason Phillips
Nick Fabiani
Sean Fish
Christopher Kellenbarger
Ali Carter
Joanne Sincero
Barbara Loots
Fred Wise
Christina Nutting
Jocelyn Vas
Ashley Thomson
Kristina Pace
Zach Pleasant
Danielle Thomas
Elizabeth Davis
Steven Fall
Rachel Horwitz
4,016 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Scott Williamson
    signed 2018-12-17 14:25:53 -0500
    Indianapolis, where I was born, has a brand new stadium! NOTHING has been attracted by its presence. It is almost always empty, and surrounded by empty parking. But they had a Super Bowl, once, which also just brought about 10 days of crowds. Since then, nothing. Don’t make the same mistake!
  • Jeffrey Gruber
    signed 2018-12-17 14:25:33 -0500
  • Daniel Joseph
    signed 2018-12-17 14:24:18 -0500
  • Andrew McCormack
    signed 2018-12-17 14:24:12 -0500
    Andrew T McCormack
  • Gillian Evans
    signed 2018-12-17 14:24:04 -0500
  • Ken Petersen
    signed 2018-12-17 14:23:04 -0500
  • Drew Saunders
    signed 2018-12-17 14:22:39 -0500
  • Juliet Armerding
    signed 2018-12-17 14:21:51 -0500
  • Steven Francis
    signed 2018-12-17 14:21:43 -0500
    Better to have green space and trails. Redskin owner can afford to build his own stadium.
  • Charles Waldmann
    signed 2018-12-17 14:17:42 -0500
  • Raashi Parihar
    signed 2018-12-17 14:14:19 -0500
  • Ryan Doherty
    signed 2018-12-17 14:13:31 -0500
  • Aaron Chaletzky
    signed 2018-12-17 14:11:45 -0500
  • Jason Phillips
    signed 2018-12-17 14:11:33 -0500
    Let Dan Snyder pay for his own stadium
  • Nick Fabiani
    signed 2018-12-17 14:10:52 -0500
    Nick Fabiani
  • Sean Fish
    signed via 2018-12-17 14:10:50 -0500
  • Christopher Kellenbarger
    signed 2018-12-17 14:09:45 -0500
  • Ali Carter
    signed 2018-12-17 14:08:29 -0500
  • Joanne Sincero
    signed 2018-12-17 14:08:10 -0500
  • Barbara Loots
    signed 2018-12-17 14:07:44 -0500
  • Fred Wise
    signed 2018-12-17 14:06:32 -0500
  • Christina Nutting
    signed 2018-12-17 14:05:44 -0500
  • Jocelyn Vas
    signed 2018-12-17 14:05:28 -0500
    Jocelyn Ilana Vas
  • Ashley Thomson
    signed via 2018-12-17 14:03:52 -0500
    I live within visual distance of RFK. And while it is cool to see out our window, it doesn’t benefit our neighborhood. This land could and should be used for a purpose that works for residents in the immediate area AND all Washingtonians.
  • Kristina Pace
    signed 2018-12-17 14:02:55 -0500
  • Zach Pleasant
    signed 2018-12-17 14:02:54 -0500
  • Danielle Thomas
    signed 2018-12-17 14:01:13 -0500
    Hail no!
  • Elizabeth Davis
    signed 2018-12-17 14:00:29 -0500
  • Steven Fall
    signed 2018-12-17 14:00:21 -0500
    Steven Robert Fall
  • Rachel Horwitz
    signed 2018-12-17 14:00:14 -0500