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

Elizabeth Hageman
Timothy Stackhouse
Regina Arlotto
Abigail Horne
Drew Ackermann
Morgan Allen
Sam Fromartz
Peg Blechman
Jason Argo
Aaron Stehley
Travis Ballie
Marty Smith
Mark Rozanski
Emily Cichy
Gary Mintz
Helene Kenny
James (Jim) Bullock
Seyoum Akele
Betsy Schiffman
Dianne Campbell
Janice Kruger
Sherry Saunders
Carey Utz
Jason Reott
Daniel Kovler
Bill Schultheiss
William Saetren
Frank Craddock
Nathan Yarasavage
4,003 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Elizabeth Hageman
    signed 2018-12-14 12:39:05 -0500
  • Timothy Stackhouse
    signed 2018-12-14 12:38:23 -0500
  • Regina Arlotto
    signed 2018-12-14 12:38:04 -0500
  • Abigail Horne
    signed 2018-12-14 12:37:58 -0500
  • Drew Ackermann
    signed 2018-12-14 12:37:56 -0500
  • Morgan Allen
    signed 2018-12-14 12:37:35 -0500
    Hail No!!
  • Sam Fromartz
    signed 2018-12-14 12:37:34 -0500
  • Peg Blechman
    signed 2018-12-14 12:37:25 -0500
  • Jason Argo
    signed 2018-12-14 12:35:56 -0500
    Argo
  • Aaron Stehley
    signed 2018-12-14 12:35:08 -0500
  • Travis Ballie
    signed 2018-12-14 12:34:46 -0500
  • Marty Smith
    signed 2018-12-14 12:34:17 -0500
  • Mark Rozanski
    signed 2018-12-14 12:34:01 -0500
    A terrible idea if there ever was one, to plonk down yet another stadium in WDC. At gobsmackingly great expense to WDC taxpayers. The greater WDC community and especially the residents on both sides of the Anacostia would be much, much better served re-purposing the RFK campus space for badly-needed housing and recreation facilities. No more marquee stadiums on the backs of WDC taxpayers.
  • Emily Cichy
    signed 2018-12-14 12:33:41 -0500
  • Gary Mintz
    signed 2018-12-14 12:33:32 -0500
    gary mintz
  • Helene Kenny
    signed 2018-12-14 12:32:31 -0500
  • James (Jim) Bullock
    signed 2018-12-14 12:32:02 -0500
    I support Charles Allen in this initiative.
  • Seyoum Akele
    signed 2018-12-14 12:31:50 -0500
  • Betsy Schiffman
    signed 2018-12-14 12:31:44 -0500
    Elizabeth A Schiffma
  • Dianne Campbell
    signed 2018-12-14 12:31:42 -0500
  • Janice Kruger
    signed 2018-12-14 12:30:50 -0500
  • Sherry Saunders
    signed via 2018-12-14 12:29:21 -0500
  • Carey Utz
    signed 2018-12-14 12:29:09 -0500
  • Jason Reott
    signed 2018-12-14 12:28:43 -0500
    I FULLY SUPPORT a football stadium at the derelict RFK site. Is this merely a case of NIMBYism? Recently, you wholeheartedly supported a new stadium build for an unappreciated “major league sport” – soccer – in another D.C. neighborhood. The lifespan of a professional soccer team in the U.S. is terrifically short and the stadium was a reckless risk of taxpayer funds. An NFL stadium returned to D.C. would make attending the games far more attractive to me, a Capitol Hill resident, than current. I am NOT going back to Landover ever again. Alternatively, we could use the soccer stadium for NFL when the soccer team inevitably folds in the middle of the night.




    COUNCILMEMBER CHARLES ALLEN COMMENTS ON DC UNITED SOCCER STADIUM AGREEMENT

    POSTED BY ANDREW AURBACH ON JUNE 09, 2015

    This morning Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen issued the following statement regarding the DC United soccer stadium agreement:


    “I’m excited to see this deal come together. It has the potential to transform Buzzard Point with new jobs, housing, and amenities, as well as reconnect the Southwest neighborhood to the Anacostia River. The announced agreement seems to lock in more protections for DC residents and gives DC United great certainty about their future in our city.


    “Now it’s time to turn our attention to the details of making the stadium truly work for Southwest and DC: connecting nearby residents to the jobs being created, making sure there are smart transportation connections, and building out the parks and public spaces that will make this project a true catalyst for Buzzard Point.”
  • Will Saetren
    @WillSaetren tweeted link to this page. 2018-12-14 12:28:19 -0500
    Sign the petition: #HailNo to a New Stadium at RFK - Add Your Name Below https://www.hailnorfk.com/?recruiter_id=1059779
  • Daniel Kovler
    signed 2018-12-14 12:27:20 -0500
  • Bill Schultheiss
    signed 2018-12-14 12:26:56 -0500
    A stadium for football belongs in the suburbs funded by the billionaires who run the NFL, not in a city with limited land. DC has enough stadiums to host concerts.
  • William Saetren
    signed 2018-12-14 12:26:21 -0500
  • Frank Craddock
    signed 2018-12-14 12:26:18 -0500
    For all the reasons stated above – Congress and the President should not dictate where our taxpayer dollars go for a stadium for any team, let alone a terrible one with a bratty (and very rich) owner. As the father of two boys who play outdoor sports, this part of DC desperately needs fields for kids.


    I would be first in line to oppose any politician at the polls – and with countless others I imagine – that supports this stupid endeavor.
  • Nathan Yarasavage
    signed 2018-12-14 12:26:04 -0500