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

Lucas Toh
Kara Paulson
Megan Patterson
Hannah Gelbard Johnson
John Peter Kraal
Nick Krish
Orestes del Castillo
Carlos Marquez
Katy Conyne
Rebecca Rice
Rachel Mackey
Nancy Anderson
Theresa Russo
C Sisco
Zack Hill
Ricardo Vicanco
Julie Rivera
Sarah Marcus
Matt Dozier
Sam Lichtman
Karen Ostlie
Shannon Roberts
Austen Musso
Zach Goodwick
Mary Pat Twomey
Chris Babcock
Niyeti Shah
Ed Lazere
Sarah Holsinger
4,016 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Lucas Toh
    signed 2018-12-17 08:56:19 -0500
  • Kara Paulson
    signed 2018-12-17 08:52:55 -0500
  • Megan Patterson
    signed 2018-12-17 08:51:30 -0500
    I live next door to RFK stadium. I know that the residents in this area are thrilled with ideas about a plaza for small businesses, about ideas around affordable housing, and other possibilities that would support Kingman Park and its residents. What would NOT do that is an NFL stadium. We do not need a host of chains pushing their way in to suck money and business from local independent retailers. We do not need masses of people congesting our streets and leaving behind garbage on game days. There are many ways that this existing infrastructure could be used. Massive amounts of construction and money to create a new and unnecessary stadium is a waste of our time and resources. NO TO SNYDER! – an affected resident
  • Hannah Gelbard Johnson
    signed 2018-12-17 08:48:36 -0500
  • John Peter Kraal
    signed 2018-12-17 08:46:33 -0500
  • Nick Krish
    signed 2018-12-17 08:46:28 -0500
  • Orestes del Castillo
    signed 2018-12-17 08:45:55 -0500
  • krista schlyer
    @kristaschlyer tweeted link to this page. 2018-12-17 08:42:31 -0500
    Sign the petition: Hail No to a New Stadium at RFK - Add Your Name Below https://www.hailnorfk.com/?recruiter_id=1063217
  • Carlos Marquez
    signed 2018-12-17 08:41:42 -0500
  • Katy Conyne
    signed 2018-12-17 08:39:53 -0500
  • Rebecca Rice
    signed 2018-12-17 08:38:37 -0500
    This won’t help our city!
  • Rachel Mackey
    signed 2018-12-17 08:36:16 -0500
  • Nancy Anderson
    signed 2018-12-17 08:35:55 -0500
  • Theresa Russo
    signed 2018-12-17 08:35:09 -0500
  • C Sisco
    signed 2018-12-17 08:31:36 -0500
  • Zack Hill
    signed 2018-12-17 08:29:17 -0500
  • Ricardo Vicanco
    signed 2018-12-17 08:27:43 -0500
  • Julie Rivera
    signed 2018-12-17 08:26:45 -0500
  • Sarah Marcus
    signed 2018-12-17 08:25:36 -0500
    Sarah Marcus
  • Matt Dozier
    signed 2018-12-17 08:23:52 -0500
  • Sam Lichtman
    signed 2018-12-17 08:22:44 -0500
    Sam Lichtman
  • Karen Ostlie
    signed 2018-12-17 08:20:54 -0500
  • Shannon Roberts
    signed 2018-12-17 08:18:55 -0500
  • Austen Musso
    signed 2018-12-17 08:14:25 -0500
  • Zach Goodwick
    signed 2018-12-17 08:12:40 -0500
  • Mary Pat Twomey
    signed 2018-12-17 08:11:51 -0500
  • Chris Babcock
    signed 2018-12-17 08:07:53 -0500
    Hail NO!
  • Niyeti Shah
    signed 2018-12-17 08:07:52 -0500
  • Ed Lazere
    signed 2018-12-17 08:06:48 -0500
    Ed Lazere
  • Sarah Holsinger
    signed 2018-12-17 08:06:47 -0500