DC Mayor corrects falsity over RFK Stadium land

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Commanders' return to the District of Columbia will beryllium jeopardized if Congress doesn't walk a spending measure to support the authorities open.

But location was 1 point DC Mayor Muriel Bowser wanted to make clear Thursday, correcting a tweet from Elon Musk: No money has been allocated for building a caller stadium successful the continuing solution measure earlier Congress.

Musk, who has criticized the wide spending bill, had reposted connected X the mendacious accusation that the measure included $3 cardinal for a caller shot stadium, saying "This should not beryllium funded by your taxation dollars."

But the only facet successful the measure relating to a imaginable stadium was a solution that would transportation power of the onshore astatine the RFK tract from legislature to the District of Columbia.

"It was stated that the CR contains $3 cardinal for a stadium," Bowser told reporters during a property convention successful the territory Thursday discussing $800 cardinal successful arena renovations for the Wizards and Capitals. "All wrong. There are nary national dollars related to the transportation of RFK, and successful truth the authorities does not require aliases nexus astatine each to a stadium. We're talking astir really the District tin put successful removing blight."

If the measure passes -- whether the aforesaid type aliases a watered-down 1 -- and the transportation is included, it would greatly summation the Commanders' chances of returning to the tract of their glory days, aggregate sources person said. Washington played astatine RFK Stadium from 1961-96, appearing successful 5 Super Bowls and winning three. They person played successful Landover, Md., -- successful what is now called Northwest Stadium -- since 1997.

The authorities would lease the onshore to the territory for 99 years. Bowser said the metropolis presently has a lease connected the onshore for different 14 years -- but they could not get the backing to build a stadium pinch specified a short lease.

The RFK tract would beryllium the preferred destination for the organization, aggregate sources person said, but they tin take to enactment successful Landover, Md., and build a stadium astatine their coming site. They already ain the land. Maryland politician Wes Moore has been accordant successful his desire to support the team, but the authorities has received guarantees the squad would create the onshore should they leave.

If the measure fails, aliases the onshore transportation isn't included successful a caller type past the chances of the Commanders returning to the territory diminishes greatly. And if the measure doesn't pass, past it's uncertain really agelong the Commanders would hold to spot if it could beryllium voted connected astatine different point.

Commanders proprietor Josh Harris has said they'd for illustration to person a caller stadium by 2030, though that's not a patient deadline.

"I don't cognize if there's different way this session," Bowser said. "We've done each we're expected to do, and this is the conveyance that has been identified -- and agreed to by Democrats and Republicans. Have you been to RFK? Anybody? (It is) 177 acres surrounded by asphalt and a stadium that hasn't been utilized successful 10 years that is simply a blight connected the nation's capital. Now, I work together pinch the president-elect connected this point: We want to make our nation's superior the astir beautiful superior successful the world, truthful we person to move and free RFK."