The Washington Commanders are giving a glimpse to their fans of the franchise's new home -- and it's a nod to their past mixed with a look to the future.
Washington on Thursday released initial renderings of their new roofed stadium design, a 70,000-capacity building planned for a 2030 opening on the site of their former site at RFK Stadium. The Commanders commissioned stadium design firm HKS, whose portfolio includes recent NFL builds including SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The goal of the Commanders' new home was to bridge the tradition of a legacy franchise with three Super Bowl rings to the future, with the likes of Jayden Daniels.
"From the beginning, our focus has been on delivering a best-in-class experience for Commanders fans while honoring the legacy of RFK Stadium and our team," Commanders president Mark Clouse said in a statement, via the team website. "We're designing a stadium that amplifies the energy of football, supports year-round events and becomes a place the community can be proud of. We look forward to hearing feedback from our community as the design continues to evolve."
The location and design at the historic RFK site are also meant to create a dynamic but respectful profile amid the historic Capitol and nearby monuments while also linking the stadium to the rest of the D.C. area, close to an entertainment district and public transportation. The continuous colonnade is meant to blend public plazas, green spaces and connections along the Anacostia River.
While the new stadium will be known as the Commanders' full-time home eventually, it also will be dedicated to year-round events, with at least 30% of the site intended for year-round recreation.
"I'm grateful for the shared commitment from both the Commanders and HKS to designing an iconic stadium that honors the history of our city -- and our skyline -- while also being a true catalyst for future opportunity at the RFK campus," D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser said.
Last April, the Commanders and the District of Columbia reached an agreement to build the stadium, which is expected to cost approximately $4 billion with the franchise picking up $2.7 billion of the tab and the city paying the remainder.
It has been nearly 30 years since the franchise was last located in the D.C. limits, playing its final game at RFK Stadium on Dec. 22, 1996, before moving to what is now Northwest Stadium (formerly FedEx Field) in Landover, Maryland, starting in 1997.
