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

Mark Cassell
David Mitchell
Julie Dwyer
Morgan Giddings
Barbara Cash
Maria Dias Strylowski
Karen Davenport
Jessica Cox
Charles Spring
Susan Fariss
Joel Nelson
Thonya Nelson
Chris Young
Adam Godet
Matthew Bradley
Sarah Graddy
Michele Lempa
Charlotte Schwartz
Leigh Reuter
Evan Baker
Elizabeth Patel
Cassandra Dumasius
Lauren Rosenbaum
Judi Carsrud
Edward Meyers
Donald Braman
Sasha Clayton
Sarah Davidson
Jackson Myers
Madeline Roth
4,004 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Mark Cassell
    signed 2024-03-03 07:27:27 -0500
  • David Mitchell
    signed 2024-03-01 10:11:13 -0500
  • Julie Dwyer
    signed 2024-02-29 12:14:32 -0500
  • Morgan Giddings
    signed 2023-11-09 20:32:49 -0500
    Put in greenspace! A park! A recycling center! Something that is a positive impact for ALL, not just sports people. Focus then on solving crime- we don’t need to bring in more variables until we get a handle on this issue here now.
  • Barbara Cash
    signed 2023-11-01 21:03:08 -0400
  • Maria Dias Strylowski
    signed 2023-10-25 08:47:31 -0400
    We should be controlling crime and homeless instead of bring more people to a city that can keep its residents safe. This mayor must be voted OUT.
  • Karen Davenport
    signed 2023-10-16 15:25:28 -0400
  • Jessica Cox
    signed 2023-10-16 06:16:19 -0400
  • Charles Spring
    signed 2023-10-13 14:58:44 -0400
  • Susan Fariss
    signed 2023-10-09 01:16:16 -0400
  • Joel Nelson
    signed 2023-10-08 11:11:01 -0400
  • Thonya Nelson
    signed 2023-10-08 11:09:13 -0400
  • Chris Young
    signed 2023-10-07 11:35:53 -0400
  • Adam Godet
    signed 2023-10-07 06:36:41 -0400
    Spend the money on schools. Let’s make DC schools the best in the nation
  • Matthew Bradley
    signed 2023-10-05 22:10:48 -0400
  • Sarah Graddy
    signed 2023-10-04 08:52:38 -0400
  • Michele Lempa
    signed via 2023-10-04 08:07:12 -0400
  • Charlotte Schwartz
    signed 2023-10-03 22:50:54 -0400
    Why in the world would we want to support the NFL. Let’s build something for the community, not some billionaire “owners.”
  • Leigh Reuter
    signed 2023-10-03 16:52:06 -0400
  • Evan Baker
    signed 2023-10-03 15:40:00 -0400
  • Elizabeth Patel
    signed 2023-10-03 13:08:55 -0400
  • Cassandra Dumasius
    signed 2023-10-03 10:49:41 -0400
  • Lauren Rosenbaum
    signed 2023-10-03 10:47:37 -0400
  • Judi Carsrud
    signed 2023-10-02 18:40:10 -0400
  • Edward Meyers
    signed 2023-10-02 18:16:44 -0400
    Lots of people say that there should be no DC taxpayer funding for a new stadium. That still does not begin to solve the problem. A mixed use development at the site would do so much better for DC people and local residents than would a massive stadium and parking for only 8 or 10 games a year. Who is going to build a new restaurant or hotel for just a few games a year at that site?


    This is true even if the football team paid for the entire cost of a stadium, and if they paid for the value of the land gobbled up, and if they also paid for infrastructure. Whatever the football team wants to do there is a lousy deal for DC. Think of all the genuine benefits of mixed income housing, retail, groceries, a jobs center, a community center, and real recreation for DC people – – not just beer drinking and hot dog eating recreation for mostly suburban fans. Sure, you can squeeze in some development around a massive structure and parking, but let’s build in a new and strong community right from the beginning.
  • Donald Braman
    signed 2023-10-02 16:40:52 -0400
  • Sasha Clayton
    signed 2023-10-02 14:40:31 -0400
  • Sarah Davidson
    signed 2023-10-02 14:22:44 -0400
  • Jackson Myers
    signed 2023-10-02 14:10:46 -0400
  • Madeline Roth
    signed 2023-10-02 14:07:30 -0400