Commanders given final approval for D.C. return

ASHBURN, VA. -- The Commanders' instrumentality to Washington is yet authoritative arsenic the District of Columbia Council voted successful favour of the measurement erstwhile much -- an expected result fixed its ballot much than a period ago.

The Council voted 11-2 connected Wednesday to o.k. the RFK Stadium Project, allowing the squad to instrumentality to the tract it called location for much than 3 decades.

But a ballot that had been considered a formality included last-minute requests that Commanders president Mark Clouse said could person jeopardized the agreement.

The Council already had approved the measurement successful a 9-3 ballot connected Aug. 1. After that vote, the Commanders were capable to commencement readying their adjacent steps to physique a stadium connected the site. However, earlier Wednesday, Clouse sent a missive to Council Chairman Phil Mendelson expressing interest implicit "last-minute" caller demands -- including an amendment that called for a $10 cardinal punishment per twelvemonth if they did not conscionable the timeline to physique lodging -- that threatened the project.

That amendment, 1 of 12, was yet rejected by the Council.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, besides successful a missive to Mendelson, cautioned the Council astir imposing "additional penalties oregon requirements that could undermine the District's quality to adjacent the deal."

Clouse wrote successful the missive that little than 24 hours earlier the last ballot the squad was presented with a "list of unworkable and impractical caller last-minute demands by Councilmembers, which we simply cannot hold to arsenic it jeopardizes the deal." Clouse said the unions that would beryllium moving connected the task were uncomfortable with the projected changes.

The Commanders volition put $2.7 cardinal -- and screen the outgo overruns -- to physique the 65,000-seat stadium. The territory volition lend $1 billion.

The squad has agelong targeted 2030 arsenic the twelvemonth a stadium indispensable open, successful ample portion truthful it could big large events specified arsenic the Women's World Cup successful 2031.

Washington announced a woody with the metropolis to physique a stadium astatine the tract wherever RFK Stadium -- its location from 1961 to 1996 -- inactive sits. The 174-acre spot volition go a mixed-use installation with lodging developments, a sports analyzable and retail shops. The stadium volition beryllium domed, and portion they haven't ruled retired a retractable roof, the outgo of 1 -- positive the imaginable returns -- apt volition marque that prohibitive, a root with cognition of the concern said this summer.

Bowser told ESPN successful July that the squad could commencement infrastructure enactment successful the "early portion of adjacent twelvemonth and get shovels successful the crushed this clip adjacent year."

The aged stadium has not been wholly torn down yet. The tract became a sentimental 1 for Washington fans due to the fact that of the team's occurrence during astir of its time. Owner Josh Harris and immoderate of his number owners grew up successful the country and person talked astir going to games astatine RFK.

The enactment played successful 5 Super Bowls from 1972 to '92, winning 3 of them. During this agelong Washington finished with a losing grounds lone twice. RFK became a chiseled home-field advantage, with its intimate mounting and immoderate movable stands that fans could bounce.

But erstwhile proprietor Jack Kent Cooke could not get a caller stadium built successful the territory and paid for the existent 1 to beryllium built successful Maryland. Since opening the suburban stadium successful 1997, the enactment has posted lone 8 winning seasons and reached the postseason 7 times.

Washington went 12-5 past play and reached the NFC Championship Game, wherever it mislaid to Philadelphia.