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

Michael Leyva
Kayin Joseph
Colin Moffett
Meredith Spivey
Lona Valmoro
Stephen D'Alessio
Dan Wedderburn
Ben Roberts
Maria Fruciano
Jennifer Brown
Frances McKay
Antoine Canty
Jordan Nelson
Sarah Glaven
Sally Murray James
Jon Reynolds
Pege Gilgannon
Amy Copeland
Suzanne Lemieux
Kevin Wallace
Christopher Bobish
Jill Strachan
Arynne Crane
Stacy Baker
Brian Tierney
Elise Edwards
Phil Wolf
M Mindy Moretti
K Bowen
Colleen Walsh
4,003 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Michael Leyva
    signed 2018-12-14 18:50:05 -0500
  • Kayin Joseph
    signed 2018-12-14 18:45:11 -0500
  • Colin Moffett
    signed 2018-12-14 18:43:33 -0500
    The way the team is trying to go about this tells you everything you need to know.
  • Meredith Spivey
    signed 2018-12-14 18:43:07 -0500
    Hail No!!!!
  • Lona Valmoro
    signed 2018-12-14 18:40:07 -0500
  • Stephen D'Alessio
    signed 2018-12-14 18:39:50 -0500
  • Dan Wedderburn
    signed 2018-12-14 18:38:23 -0500
  • Ben Roberts
    signed 2018-12-14 18:37:55 -0500
    Booooo
  • Maria Fruciano
    signed 2018-12-14 18:35:40 -0500
  • Jennifer Brown
    signed 2018-12-14 18:33:32 -0500
  • Frances McKay
    signed via 2018-12-14 18:32:27 -0500
    I agree that the land next to the river should be environmentally friendly to the Anacostia river and neighborhood as well as to Capitol Hill.
  • Antoine Canty
    signed 2018-12-14 18:31:30 -0500
  • Jordan Nelson
    signed via 2018-12-14 18:25:27 -0500
  • Sarah Glaven
    signed via 2018-12-14 18:22:47 -0500
  • Sally Murray James
    signed 2018-12-14 18:21:52 -0500
  • Jon Reynolds
    signed via 2018-12-14 18:17:44 -0500
  • Pege Gilgannon
    signed via 2018-12-14 18:15:32 -0500
    Why doesn’t dan go live someplace else. I’ll help him pack!!
  • Amy Copeland
    signed 2018-12-14 18:14:11 -0500
  • Suzanne Lemieux
    signed via 2018-12-14 18:12:13 -0500
    My tax dollars should not go to this and it will not help those in need in this city.
  • Kevin Wallace
    signed 2018-12-14 18:10:43 -0500
  • Christopher Bobish
    signed via 2018-12-14 18:09:14 -0500
    Lil Dan is wealthy enough to fund his own stadium
  • Jill Strachan
    signed 2018-12-14 18:03:02 -0500
    Jill Strachan
  • Arynne Crane
    signed 2018-12-14 18:02:23 -0500
    Arynne Cran
  • Stacy Baker
    signed 2018-12-14 18:02:04 -0500
    Indeed — the Anacostia River, communities, and taxpayers will all be harmed by a new stadium on this site. If Congress is making the deal, you know it’s a touch down for the NFL and owners’ interests, not the interests of the environment, locals, and well thought out development and storm water management. Thank you, Charles Allen for organizing!
  • Brian Tierney
    signed 2018-12-14 18:01:26 -0500
  • Elise Edwards
    signed 2018-12-14 17:57:30 -0500
  • Phil Wolf
    signed 2018-12-14 17:53:25 -0500
  • M Mindy Moretti
    signed 2018-12-14 17:51:53 -0500
  • K Bowen
    signed via 2018-12-14 17:50:58 -0500
  • Colleen Walsh
    signed 2018-12-14 17:50:22 -0500
    I live just blocks away. The area needs better ideas.