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

Jessica Leas
David Fpx
Gabriel Anaya
Amanda Shipe
Andy Litsky
Nicole Nathanson
Patrick Burnett
Abbie Sorrendino
Courtney Carter
A. Drew Smith
Andrea Boron
Caroline Quat
Tim Schmitz
Peter van Rossum
Cathy Hampton
Sarah Heffern
Emily Russell
Gregor Young
Pedro Morillas
Tadina Ross
Paul Pimentel
Eliza Festa
Joshua Raymonf
Bradley Herring
Michael Parker
Patricia Steele
Kai Filion
Kristine Enderle
Katherine Storch
Catherine Klein
4,004 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Jessica Leas
    signed 2018-12-14 12:58:26 -0500
    I live in this neighborhood and do not want any football stadium, but less one that is racist, in my neighborhood. We want a park. We want things that will be used by the community and not just drunk commuters.
  • David Fpx
    signed via 2018-12-14 12:57:32 -0500
  • Gabriel Anaya
    signed 2018-12-14 12:56:46 -0500
  • Amanda Shipe
    signed 2018-12-14 12:56:45 -0500
  • Andy Litsky
    signed 2018-12-14 12:55:06 -0500
    Just because the Republican Congress says we may doesn’t require The Council to say we should. And to Dan Snyder? Why not give it to Donald Trump? Stop this NOW!
  • Nicole Nathanson
    signed 2018-12-14 12:52:45 -0500
  • Patrick Burnett
    signed 2018-12-14 12:52:37 -0500
  • Abbie Sorrendino
    signed 2018-12-14 12:51:59 -0500
  • Courtney Carter
    signed 2018-12-14 12:51:58 -0500
  • A. Drew Smith
    signed 2018-12-14 12:51:49 -0500
    They already have a stadium. They don’t need another one.
  • Andrea Boron
    signed 2018-12-14 12:51:04 -0500
    Consult DC residents on best use of land and our tax dollars!
  • Caroline Quat
    signed 2018-12-14 12:50:45 -0500
    Literally…no ones wants a new stadium for a team with a horrible owner who refuses to change the name to something no offensive. For a team that has been losing fans and viewers for years. For a stadium that won’t get any community use in a spot that should be used for community reasons. Let’s do something with the land that actually helps DC with some of its biggest issues. We need more jobs, more low income housing, more grocery options…let’s deal with that instead of build an annoying new stadium.
  • Tim Schmitz
    signed 2018-12-14 12:50:20 -0500
  • Peter van Rossum
    signed 2018-12-14 12:50:08 -0500
  • Cathy Hampton
    signed 2018-12-14 12:49:39 -0500
  • Sarah Heffern
    signed 2018-12-14 12:49:15 -0500
  • Emily Russell
    signed 2018-12-14 12:47:04 -0500
  • Gregor Young
    signed 2018-12-14 12:47:02 -0500
    This land should be used for something else that benefits the public good. Do not give tax dollars to the Redskins, that’s not acceptable.
  • Pedro Morillas
    signed via 2018-12-14 12:46:23 -0500
  • Tadina Ross
    signed 2018-12-14 12:44:49 -0500
  • Paul Pimentel
    signed 2018-12-14 12:44:23 -0500
  • Eliza Festa
    signed 2018-12-14 12:43:39 -0500
  • Joshua Raymonf
    signed 2018-12-14 12:43:29 -0500
  • Bradley Herring
    signed 2018-12-14 12:43:20 -0500
  • Michael Parker
    signed via 2018-12-14 12:43:18 -0500
  • Patricia Steele
    signed 2018-12-14 12:43:11 -0500
  • Kai Filion
    signed 2018-12-14 12:42:14 -0500
    We don’t need a football team with a racist name in DC.
  • Kristine Enderle
    signed 2018-12-14 12:41:33 -0500
  • Katherine Storch
    signed 2018-12-14 12:41:02 -0500
  • Catherine Klein
    signed via 2018-12-14 12:39:48 -0500