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

Jerry Brown
Matthew Clausen
Elliott Mogul
Maurlo Parker
Amy Kelley
Aubrey Williams
Kelli Brown
Jonathan Welch
Kathryn Winthrop
Julie Serfass
Gerramika Stevenson
Ivan Frishberg
Pam McKinney
Ilana Kaplan
Caitlin Mock
Anjelina Keating
Debbie Loftin
Landon Mock
Shannon Murphy
Megan Mielnik
Elizabeth and Pete Nash
Georgia Abraham
Anna Woodbury
Kristin Reinhard
Patrick Cash
Kate Blakeley
Erin Fay
Charles Swartz
Stephen Picard
4,004 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Jerry Brown
    signed 2018-12-14 12:12:33 -0500
  • Matthew Clausen
    signed 2018-12-14 12:11:22 -0500
  • Elliott Mogul
    signed 2018-12-14 12:11:21 -0500
  • Maurlo Parker
    signed 2018-12-14 12:10:47 -0500
  • Amy Kelley
    signed 2018-12-14 12:10:24 -0500
    The vast acres of asphalt need to be transformed into spaces that can be enjoyed by all residents of the DMV at all times of the year.
  • Aubrey Williams
    signed 2018-12-14 12:10:06 -0500
  • Kelli Brown
    signed 2018-12-14 12:09:33 -0500
  • Jonathan Welch
    signed 2018-12-14 12:08:43 -0500
  • Kathryn Winthrop
    signed 2018-12-14 12:08:37 -0500
    We already had one failed stadium. Time for new ideas—the local community desperately needs affordable housing, recreation opportunities, affordable retail , and jobs for local residents to balance the very upscale developments going in at the waterfront and eastern market area. Who lives in this area and what would benefit them most? Addressing this question would benefit the whole city.
  • Julie Serfass
    signed 2018-12-14 12:08:19 -0500
  • Gerramika Stevenson
    signed 2018-12-14 12:08:07 -0500
  • Ivan Frishberg
    signed 2018-12-14 12:07:52 -0500
    Ivan Frishberg
  • Pam McKinney
    signed 2018-12-14 12:07:48 -0500
  • Ilana Kaplan
    signed 2018-12-14 12:07:32 -0500
  • Caitlin Mock
    signed 2018-12-14 12:07:31 -0500
  • Anjelina Keating
    signed 2018-12-14 12:07:05 -0500
  • Debbie Loftin
    signed 2018-12-14 12:06:50 -0500
  • Landon Mock
    signed 2018-12-14 12:06:46 -0500
  • Shannon Murphy
    signed 2018-12-14 12:06:23 -0500
    Shannon Murphy
  • Debbie Loftin
    @deloftin tweeted link to this page. 2018-12-14 12:06:20 -0500
    Sign the petition: Hail No to a New Stadium at RFK - Add Your Name Below https://www.hailnorfk.com/?recruiter_id=1053942
  • Megan Mielnik
    signed 2018-12-14 12:06:05 -0500
  • Elizabeth and Pete Nash
    signed 2018-12-14 12:05:29 -0500
  • Georgia Abraham
    signed 2018-12-14 12:04:16 -0500
    No DC tax dollars for billionaires
  • Anna Woodbury
    signed 2018-12-14 12:03:47 -0500
  • Kristin Reinhard
    signed 2018-12-14 12:03:40 -0500
  • Patrick Cash
    signed 2018-12-14 12:02:17 -0500
    Research shows time and again that tax incentive giveaways are a bad deal for consumers and taxpayers, and singularly benefit extremely wealthy business owners. Use this land for the community that lives in the neighborhood and beyond and do not give this land to extremely rich rasists and brand a huge building with a racial slur.
  • Kate Blakeley
    signed 2018-12-14 12:01:43 -0500
  • Erin Fay
    signed 2018-12-14 12:01:40 -0500
    I was a Hill East resident for 8 years and come back to visit often. The community needs green space, affordable housing, retail that fits, and waterfront access. It does not need an NFL stadium that would cause huge traffic issues, noise violations, and would not serve the community where it sits.
  • Charles Swartz
    signed 2018-12-14 12:00:12 -0500
  • Stephen Picard
    signed 2018-12-14 12:00:03 -0500