Oversight Chair Comer warns DC council to approve Commanders stadium before August recess

A top House Republican is urging Washington, D.C., leaders to expedite approval of redevelopment plans for the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium site before district lawmakers break for the month of August.

"The federal government transferred administrative control of this valuable property with the clear expectation that the D.C. Council would act decisively to maximize its potential," House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) wrote in a letter to D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson on Thursday.

"The Committee understands the need for deliberation and the availability of financial analyses and expects all required votes to be completed before the Council’s August recess."

Congress approved legislation last year to help facilitate the redevelopment of the area known as the RFK Stadium site and the Washington Commanders' return to D.C. after playing in Maryland for nearly three decades. The D.C. Council recently delayed finalization of its RFK Stadium deal amid public pressure over costs and housing priorities.

Mendelson said in a statement to The Hill that the Council is "moving as quickly as possible" to finalize a deal.

“I’ve had and am continuing to have meetings with representatives from the Commanders and those meetings have been very productive and pleasant and constructive and we’re working well together," he said. "The Council is trying to move towards a positive vote on the stadium."

The Commanders franchise vowed a $2.7 billion private investment in exchange for the redeveloped site. In a tentative agreement, the District said it would invest $1.1 billion over eight years to build a new stadium, housing and green space on the federal owned site along the Anacostia River.

Comer urged the Council to promptly act "without unnecessary and politically motivated delays."

WTOP News reported this week that the D.C. Council missed a crucial deadline to vote on the site, possibly jeopardizing the $3.7 billion project. Legislation formalizing the deal is scheduled for public hearings later this month.

This story was updated at 2:19 p.m.