Bowser launches new inquiries in push to bring Commanders to RFK Stadium

WASHINGTON - The D.C. government is commissioning a study on how to draw more revenue in through sports and Mayor Muriel Bowser made no bones about it last week: She thinks the Washington Commanders should be playing games at the RFK Stadium site.

Her administration on Thursday gave some hints about the questions they’d like to have answered to determine if that’s a possibility.

Right now, the district leases the 190 acres of RFK land from the federal government. That lease is up in about 15 years.

Last week, FOX 5 reported on legislation introduced in Congress to give the district long-term control

The mayor also announced a team of her own within the economic development office to study both how to retain and improve the situation for D.C.’s current teams, but also to attract new ones.

The District needs information, so today they put out a request for bids from outside firms to look into all things sports and economic impacts.     

"That’s going to help us think of things that we haven’t thought of before and things that will work for our city, so that’s why we’re doing this, we’re serious about it," Bowser said at a press conference last week.

As it relates to building a new stadium, District leaders want some comparisons:

• What do new stadium deals look like these days?
• Who pays for the improvements?
• What’s the economic impact?
• Are there particular stadium designs that help boost the economic impact?

D.C.'s request for bids to conduct the study also talks about the retention of current teams.

At last week’s news conference, Bowser was asked about whether or not public funding was needed for these projects.  This, among early pushback from some members of the council saying no public funds should go to a Commanders stadium.

Bowser said she wants to see the results of this study and then her office will go from there.