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

Brian Goggin
Caitlin Keating-Bitonti
Terrence Lyons
Neal Racioppo
Noah Rich
Amy Kelbick
Emily Martin
Randy Downs
James Mallos
Vanessa Johnson
Chris Pascuzzo
Lauren Uhlig
Sean Marlaire
Georgie Almon
Lisa Swanson
Chris Weiss
Ben Diamond
Margaret Crenshaw
Ona Balkus
Jesse Young
Meagan Foster
Jason Nicholsen
Garland Scott
Benjamin Seggerson
Denise Thigpen
Ashley Scott
Avery Siler
Kristin Flammer
Barbara Larkin
Katy Zamora
4,003 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Brian Goggin
    signed 2018-12-16 17:17:55 -0500
    The RFK site is a rare opportunity to add to DC’s housing stock. Being connected to the urban street grid and near public transportation, this site is ideal for walkable housing and community development to help make a dent in our city’s housing crisis. A new NFL stadium on this site would be a travesty for our city and a complete waste of precious public land.
  • Caitlin Keating-Bitonti
    signed 2018-12-16 17:13:59 -0500
  • Terrence Lyons
    signed via 2018-12-16 16:48:48 -0500
  • Neal Racioppo
    signed 2018-12-16 15:53:10 -0500
  • Noah Rich
    signed 2018-12-16 15:49:22 -0500
  • Amy Kelbick
    signed 2018-12-16 15:49:12 -0500
  • Emily Martin
    signed 2018-12-16 15:46:09 -0500
  • Randy Downs
    signed 2018-12-16 15:14:24 -0500
  • James Mallos
    signed 2018-12-16 15:14:17 -0500
  • Vanessa Johnson
    signed 2018-12-16 15:04:24 -0500
  • Chris Pascuzzo
    signed 2018-12-16 15:01:49 -0500
  • Lauren Uhlig
    signed 2018-12-16 14:58:26 -0500
  • Sean Marlaire
    signed 2018-12-16 14:57:28 -0500
  • Georgie Almon
    signed 2018-12-16 14:52:15 -0500
  • Lisa Swanson
    signed 2018-12-16 14:51:35 -0500
  • Chris Weiss
    signed 2018-12-16 14:41:39 -0500
    Chris Weiss
  • Ben Diamond
    signed 2018-12-16 14:20:43 -0500
  • Margaret Crenshaw
    signed 2018-12-16 14:06:44 -0500
    When so much planning has already been done by DC and community groups in preparation for an open space, park, recreation center, giving it now back to Football or any stadium would be a travesty.
  • Ona Balkus
    signed 2018-12-16 13:54:58 -0500
  • Jesse Young
    signed 2018-12-16 13:54:12 -0500
  • Meagan Foster
    signed 2018-12-16 13:12:39 -0500
  • Jason Nicholsen
    signed 2018-12-16 13:02:20 -0500
  • Garland Scott
    signed 2018-12-16 13:00:34 -0500
  • Benjamin Seggerson
    signed 2018-12-16 12:50:03 -0500
  • Denise Thigpen
    signed via 2018-12-16 12:44:57 -0500
  • Ashley Scott
    signed 2018-12-16 12:38:46 -0500
  • Avery Siler
    signed 2018-12-16 12:04:55 -0500
  • Kristin Flammer
    signed 2018-12-16 11:59:57 -0500
  • Barbara Larkin
    signed 2018-12-16 11:59:51 -0500
  • Katy Zamora
    signed 2018-12-16 11:53:57 -0500