(Photo by Aaron G Stock)

(Photo by Aaron G Stock)

At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the city will hold a celebratory groundbreaking ceremony for the first phase of the redevelopment of RFK, the city’s decrepit (and now unused) sports stadium.

Mayor Muriel Bowser, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen and officials from Events D.C., the city’s “face of conventions, sports, entertainment and cultural events,” will be among those in attendance.

The groundbreaking and redevelopment are happening on Parking Lot 7—27 acres of land just north of the stadium itself. Back in January, Events D.C. unveiled its specific plans for this lot, which will include three multipurpose playing fields, park space, pedestrian/bike paths, and connectors to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. Here’s a peek, per Allen.

RFK campus is 190 acres, and there’s been much discussion about how to revamp the area. Last year, Events D.C. rolled out short term plans that included the possibility of a 61,000-square-foot food market hall, go-karts, zip-lines, paintball, trampolining, batting cages, and a Robert Kennedy memorial.

Longer term plans floated by Events D.C. include a 65,000 seat football stadium and a 20,000-seat arena, both of which would require an extension of the site’s lease.

Events D.C. leases the site from the National Park Service, under a agreement that allows it to be used for a stadium or “recreational facilities, open spaces, or public outdoor recreation opportunities.” In March 2017, Bowser formally requested a full transfer of the land, or at least a 100-year extension on the lease, in a letter to President Donald Trump. She also asked for the removal of a clause that limits the land to recreational use, which would allow housing on the site.

Filed Under: events dc, RFK Stadium,