Coalition’s Hail Mary push for last-minute changes to RFK stadium deal ahead of final council vote

Nisha Patruni is a member of the RFK Future Task Force WTOP Mike Murillo Nisha Patruni is a member of the RFK Future Task Force WTOP Mike Murillo There s just a week to go before the D C Council takes its final vote on the RFK stadium redevelopment deal A coalition of more than organizations a great number of of which previously opposed the project is making a last-ditch effort to secure changes they say are critical to protecting the habitat and ensuring society benefits In a Hail Mary joining of forces the coalition is urging lawmakers to strengthen environmental protections clarify and enforce the area benefits agreement and move up the timeline for affordable housing construction Sure I think after the first vote that happened with the council there was a lot of great progress that was made declared Nisha Patruni a member of the RFK Future Task Force and a Kingman Park resident But as a group of invested neighborhood organizations we felt like there is still more progress that should be made and more adjustments or commitments that we want to see Among the concerns featured in the coalition s Sept declaration of accountability is the million society benefits package promised by the Commanders which includes plans like bringing a grocery store to Ward But Patruni explained the current bill lacks clarity Right now in the act the population benefits agreement is not detailed enough she stated We re looking for a really clearly outlined society benefits agreement that is also enforceable and to ensure that all of the invested region groups have a say in what those population benefits look like Looking to protect the context The coalition also wants to see stronger environmental protections including a rollback of a provision that allows the removal of more than heritage trees Related stories DC Council poised to cut down heritage trees for RFK Stadium redevelopment Commanders closer than ever to DC return after council passes RFK deal in st vote Hall of Famer and DC ambassador hoping for Commanders return to DC Lots of groups feel really strongly to make sure we protect the river protect those trees and also protect the neighborhood Patruni disclosed Transportation is another priority The coalition is pushing for Metro limit to be expanded in time for the stadium s opening and for residential neighborhoods to be shielded from traffic overflow We want to increase Metro quota Patruni declared Several money is set aside in the deal for Metro improvements if necessary and the association has commented it would work with Wards and on traffic We really want to see more commitments around the parking that s going to be in the residential areas how we re going to protect the inflow of traffic especially cars into the surrounding neighborhoods The organizations are also calling for the creation of an environmental oversight committee to monitor the project and ensure compliance with sustainability goals They want the D C attorney general to be empowered to enforce environmental requirements Priority to safeguard the region surrounding RFK site Despite initial opposition to the stadium project Patruni announced a great number of in the region are now focused on ensuring the growth benefits residents We as a locality are excited about the progress that can happen she declared Bringing retail bringing more housing really making our group even more walkable and vibrant than it already is that s really exciting The coalition s letter also called for a requirement that affordable housing be completed by several years ahead of the current schedule City Council Chair Phil Mendelson s office did not comment directly on the coalition s requests but proven that certain amendments are expected ahead of the final vote However it remains unclear what those amendments will include When petitioned for comment Mayor Muriel Bowser s office provided a previously issued message The era of a crumbling sea of asphalt on the banks of the Anacostia is in the end coming to an end In its place we will bring our organization home and deliver a state-of-the-art Super Bowl-ready stadium for our Commanders more than new homes for DC residents a SportsPlex for our kids parks and recreation space for the society and so much more Source