Reimagining RFK: Bringing Homes and Local Amenities to Kingman Park and Hill East

The RFK stadium site represents one of the most significant redevelopment opportunities in the District. As strong advocates for transit-oriented development, density, and inclusive urban growth, DC YIMBYs call for a bold, forward-thinking plan that prioritizes maximizing housing and transit options over car-centric infrastructure such as parking. Housing is a human right and DC should act like it!

We believe in the freedom to live in our great city, but limited housing restricts that right. Regardless of whether a stadium is built on the site, the RFK redevelopment must maximize housing on the site, with a strong emphasis on affordability. DC faces a dire housing shortage, and this site provides a rare chance to build thousands of new homes, including deeply affordable units to help combat displacement and ensure a diverse and thriving community. High-density, mixed-use development is a must to create a vibrant, walkable, and safe neighborhood, regardless of whether a stadium is built or not.

The substantial economic evidence has consistently shown that increased housing supply, including both affordable and market-rate units, lowers nearby rents, reduces displacement, and is environmentally-friendly.

We believe in expanding transit options for everyone and a lack of transit infrastructure means many people are forced to drive or wait for long periods of time for buses. RFK’s proximity to Metro stations, major bus corridors, and bike infrastructure makes it a prime candidate for transit-oriented development. We believe that any new development should include additional access to transit to support car-free mobility, such as improved pedestrian and cycling connections, more bus stops, and investments in bus rapid transit. In particular, an additional Metro stop at the northern edge of RFK along Oklahoma Avenue NE and Benning Road NE is vital to make the entire area metro-accessible and benefit the Kingman Park and Carver-Langston communities. DC YIMBYs oppose excessive parking construction, which would induce more traffic and undermine the city’s climate and mobility goals.

Neighborhoods all around the DMV such as Navy Yard, NoMa, and across the river in Arlington, have demonstrated the success of transit-oriented development in reducing car dependency while fostering thriving, walkable neighborhoods. Arlington’s Rosslyn-Ballston corridor has seen increased economic growth and housing production while maintaining high transit ridership and lower congestion.

We oppose the use of public money or subsidies to fund a new NFL stadium at the RFK site. Public resources should be invested in things that benefit all District residents, such as housing, transit, and infrastructure—not in enriching billionaire team owners. We are skeptical that an NFL stadium is the best use for this critical site: our primary concern is ensuring that any redevelopment serves the residents and future residents of the District. Direct investments such as Metro stops and increased public transit, which enhance connectivity, housing, and community amenities that make vibrant neighborhoods possible are appropriate; corporate giveaways are not.

We believe spaces should be designed for people and families, but our neighborhoods are often designed for cars. The future of the RFK site should embrace mixed-use development with ample retail, green space, schools, and community services. Public amenities such as parks, libraries, and cultural spaces should be incorporated to create a dynamic, inclusive environment that serves young and old, existing and new residents alike. The goal should be to make this a thriving, connected, and accessible neighborhood that enhances quality of life for all.

The success of DC’s own NoMa redevelopment serves as a compelling local example. The transformation of the area from an underutilized industrial district into a dense, vibrant community with extensive public spaces, retail, and transit access has made it one of the city’s densest and most livable neighborhoods. The lessons from NoMa should be applied to RFK—leveraging density, transit, and mixed-use planning to create a similarly successful urban environment.

The RFK site is too valuable to be wasted on suburban-style parking or underutilized land. We urge policymakers to commit to a vision that maximizes housing, fosters sustainable transportation, and creates a self-sustaining urban environment. The site must be for and about DC residents. Let’s build a future for RFK that reflects the best of DC—dense, walkable, and welcoming to all.

The Mayor and DC government released plans for the RFK site here on April 28, 2025:

• Development: The stadium is proposed to be built by 2030 as mixed use, including restaurants, hotels, housing, and green space. A new Kingman Park district with housing, mixed-use spaces, and recreational areas adjacent to the stadium will also be created.
• Infrastructure: The project includes major investments in parking (8,000 spots), utilities, roadways, and public transit access.
• Costs: The Commanders will invest $2.7 billion privately, but DC will invest about $1.15 billion in infrastructure, parking, and amenities (including $500M from the Sports Facilities Fee, $175M in parking bonds, $181M from Events DC, $202M for utilities and roads, and $89M for a new sportsplex)
• Housing: The redevelopment will create 5,000–6,000 new housing units, with at least 30% set aside as affordable housing.

We commend the plans on their emphasis on housing, with plans to build between 5,000 to 6,000 units of housing on the site, with 30% of them being affordable. However, that is not enough, being well short of the 10-15,000 units that could be built. In addition, the deal commits the District to an excessive investment of over $1.15 billion and builds 8,000 parking spaces–a massive allocation on valuable land that could be better used for housing, parks, or community amenities. Given the strong public transit access already serving the RFK site (and the potential for more), prioritizing so much parking undermines the city's climate goals, misuses prime urban land, and shortchanges opportunities for more equitable, forward-looking development.

Click below to submit your comments to the mayor and DC government. The RFK redevelopment is a once-in-a-generation opportunity–and your voice matters. Tell DC leaders you want more housing, less parking, no public money, and a transit-oriented design that better uses this valuable land. Submit your comments and help shape a better future for RFK and our city!

In addition, sign up for emails, attend an upcoming event, or message us about getting involved in one of our smaller working groups to help shape housing policy, support new developments, and speak up for more homes in every neighborhood. Together, we can build a better DC.