WASHINGTON/7NEWS — It’s been the talk of the town for several days now: The Commanders’ return to D.C. could be facing a delay.

Let’s catch you up to speed.

Last week, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson announced new legislation that separates much of the stadium deal from the city’s 2026 budget.

Mendelson said on Monday that he would not call the Council to a vote during their August recess, meaning a vote on the RFK Stadium deal could be delayed until mid-September at the earliest.

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This raised concerns from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the team. Both parties want to make sure the project is kept on track for the stadium to open by the 2030 NFL season.

7News Sports Director Scott Abraham spoke with Commanders limited partner Mark Ein about this newest development.

“I think the team has made an amazing case as for why this is a great thing for the city. If I look at the track record of what’s happened in this city when we’ve invested in sports facilities, I would say it’s totally compelling. We’ve built three sports facilities in Washington. Capital One Arena, Nats Park, and Audi Field,” Ein told Abraham.

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“For anyone who’s been here and remembers what each of those neighborhoods were like before those arenas were built, it’s totally transformative,” Abraham added. “You have this one last gigantic swath of land in D.C. It’s 180 acres in a part of town that’s really never had that kind of investment. It’s not going to happen without a catalyst, and this catalyst and this deal, I think, transform that part of town just the way the east end was by Capital One Arena. I think the same thing will happen around the RFK site, and that creates economic activity and it creates jobs.”

Mendelson also said that the Council will vote on part of the deal on July 15th.

That vote will include the funding for the proposed stadium and development at the RFK Stadium campus.

He added that the Council will work within the Commanders’ 2030 timetable.