Photo by Keith Allison.

While Mayor Muriel Bowser has made it clear that she wants the District to once again house a football team within the city, she faces at least as much competition as the NFC East.

Washington’s football team decamped for Landover, Md. after the 1996 season. While the lease at FedEx Field will expire in 2027, owner Dan Synder has been entertaining entreaties both to keep the franchise in Prince George’s County and to move it elsewhere for years now. Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has made the case for the commonwealth, as has current Governor Ralph Northam. Often, municipalities compete with one another to offer more alluring public financing deals to teams.

Bowser’s office has so far declined to provide details about where the mayor would propose the stadium, or who would pay for it.

The obvious location would be the site of RFK Stadium, where the team previously played. D.C. just broke ground on the first phase of redeveloping the 190 acres, which are still owned by the federal government and currently leased to the city’s Events DC arm under the stipulation that it only be used for a stadium or “recreational facilities, open spaces, or public outdoor recreation opportunities.”

When it comes to building sports arenas in city limits, D.C. has taken a couple of different tacks to pay for them in recent years.

The city contributed $670.3 million to Nationals Park, nearly the entirety of the total $701.3 million cost. D.C. also acquired land to the tune of about $150 million and provided it free on a long-term lease to D.C. United, which paid to build Audi Field. And the District’s entertainment and sports agency (which is funded by the hotel tax) will pay about $58.5 million towards the new Mystics home and Wizards practice facility at St. Elizabeths. Meanwhile, Ted Leonsis, who owns the Wizards, Mystics, and Capitals, has complained that he, rather than taxpayers, foots the bill for Capital One Arena’s mortgage.

Any NFL stadium that’d be built in D.C. needs more than the mayor’s say-so—it’ll require the council’s approval, too. We’ve reached out to the 13 councilmembers to see where they stood on the question.

Here’s how they responded:

NO

At-Large Councilmember David Grosso: Grosso released a strongly-worded statement outlining his opposition. “Though I have been a lifetime fan of the team, I continue to be frustrated and offended by the team’s name and oppose any efforts for them to play in our city … The current team name is an offensive racial slur that should not be displayed on a new stadium here in the District of Columbia. … NFL stadiums are a waste of land and public resources … Even if the team pays for the construction costs of the stadium, there would still be millions of dollars that our government would have to pay for infrastructure, security, and more.”

At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman: “Even if we only pay the infrastructure costs, that will be hundreds of millions of dollars that can go toward schools, housing, and other capital needs that will help our city in the future.”

Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh: “I don’t see any upside for District residents and wouldn’t be willing to spend a penny to bring them here.”

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen: “Our city urgently needs to make a greater investment in affordable housing, jobs, and our schools. We can’t afford the luxury of carrying a billionaire’s water to build a new stadium for a NFL team that will only play eight games a year and leave us with acres of empty parking lots the remaining 357 days. This site, right on the banks of the Anacostia River, deserves an investment that creates opportunity for District families and adds to the quality of life for the surrounding community. That’s not something an NFL stadium can offer.”

PROBABLY NOT

Chairman Phil Mendelson: “I’m not sure we need another stadium, especially a stadium that is going to be used a fraction of the year. We’re already making substantial contributions to three other stadiums and arguably this competes with those. I would support a modest level of infrastructure investment and I support the team changing their name.”

NO COMMENT

At-Large Councilmember Robert White: “At this time, the councilmember does not have a comment about the Washington Redskins moving back into DC. He is currently boycotting the NFL and is not watching any games.”

Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau: “We’re going to decline to comment at this time.”

Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd: “Councilmember Todd has not yet taken a position on this matter. He looks forward to closely following the discussion.” (Todd was present at the team’s “Welcome Home Luncheon” this year, where Bowser spoke in favor of a return to D.C., per the Washington Post’s Jonathan O’Connell.)

Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie: “We do not have a comment on this at this time.” (McDuffie was also at the luncheon last week, according to O’Connell.)

YES

Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans: “As the last major sports team that doesn’t reside within Washington, I’m supportive of bringing the football team back to the city.”

Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray: “They certainly should be back; they’re our home team. They should return home.” (He also said he wants RFK Stadium torn down.)

???

The offices of At-large Councilmember Anita Bonds and Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White did not respond to repeated requests for comment.