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

Dan Freeman
Richard Auxier
Robin Gates
Neil Evans
Michael Leitman
Juliet Harris
Brianna Gavio
Jackson King
Jonny Behrens
Alex Pasternak
Steve Miller
Mark Rickling
Tonei Glavinic
Charles Margolis
Cielo Contreras
Danny Friedman
Melissa Woods
Matthew Chambers
Molly Roy
Ben Harmon
melissa adler
Rebecca Davis
Jacob Miller
Ed Wang
Madeleine Regan
Liz Dawson
Kevin Maass
Michele Streeter
Tim Spear
R Woodard
4,016 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Dan Freeman
    signed 2018-12-17 17:33:09 -0500
  • Richard Auxier
    signed 2018-12-17 17:32:15 -0500
  • Robin Gates
    signed 2018-12-17 17:31:54 -0500
  • Neil Evans
    signed via 2018-12-17 17:30:26 -0500
    There’s enough land in DC and the surrounding area that we can afford to site any new stadium in a location that isn’t ecologically sensitive/ critical. We have a chance here to restore an area. Let’s do that.
  • Michael Leitman
    signed 2018-12-17 17:30:22 -0500
  • Juliet Harris
    signed 2018-12-17 17:29:59 -0500
  • Brianna Gavio
    signed 2018-12-17 17:27:58 -0500
    Brianna Gavio
  • Jackson King
    signed 2018-12-17 17:25:23 -0500
  • Jonny Behrens
    signed via 2018-12-17 17:25:19 -0500
  • Alex Pasternak
    signed 2018-12-17 17:24:21 -0500
  • Steve Miller
    signed 2018-12-17 17:23:45 -0500
  • Mark Rickling
    signed 2018-12-17 17:22:43 -0500
  • Tonei Glavinic
    signed 2018-12-17 17:21:45 -0500
  • Charles Margolis
    signed 2018-12-17 17:21:24 -0500
    Dan Snyder is the worst owner in all of sports
  • Cielo Contreras
    signed 2018-12-17 17:21:20 -0500
  • Danny Friedman
    signed via 2018-12-17 17:21:10 -0500
  • Melissa Woods
    signed 2018-12-17 17:18:43 -0500
  • Matthew Chambers
    signed 2018-12-17 17:18:33 -0500
  • Molly Roy
    signed 2018-12-17 17:18:08 -0500
  • Ben Harmon
    signed 2018-12-17 17:17:34 -0500
  • melissa adler
    signed 2018-12-17 17:17:02 -0500
    I use to live on 19th and constitution ave next to the stadium. Do not allow the NFL to take over that property.
  • Rebecca Davis
    signed 2018-12-17 17:15:50 -0500
    Redevelop into mid-income housing and mixed commercial use, please. No tax breaks for NFL owners.
  • Jacob Miller
    signed 2018-12-17 17:15:44 -0500
  • Ed Wang
    signed 2018-12-17 17:15:37 -0500
  • Madeleine Regan
    signed 2018-12-17 17:14:54 -0500
  • Liz Dawson
    signed 2018-12-17 17:14:27 -0500
  • Kevin Maass
    signed 2018-12-17 17:13:19 -0500
  • Michele Streeter
    signed 2018-12-17 17:11:48 -0500
  • Tim Spear
    signed 2018-12-17 17:11:28 -0500
  • R Woodard
    signed via 2018-12-17 17:11:26 -0500
    it is irresponsible of the Mayor to advocate using the RFK site for a stadium when the city has a dearth of recreational feilds and a population high on the scale for heart disease and diabetes. it’s also inconsiderate of the Mayor to completely ignore the wishes of the people living by the RFK site who have regularly voiced opposition to any plan to create a new stadium and who have openly advocated for years for mixed-use recreational facilities.