Commanders managing partner Josh Harris says stadium construction is on track

Harris says utility construction at the old RFK site will begin in April, and stadium construction will start in 2027.

PHOENIX — Commanders Managing Partner Josh Harris says construction of a new stadium on the old RFK site in D.C. is on track. Harris said Monday that utility work will begin in April, and work on the structure will begin around this time next year.

The building will honor the franchise’s past and the stadium where the team once played.

“I was there in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, so I lived through how amazing those teams were and what an impact it had on me, and I know that thousands of our fans, or millions maybe, feel the same way,” said Harris. “I think it’s important to go back to that as much as you can, but at the same time we have a bright future ahead. Even the shape of the stadium and the look of the stadium, when you look at it, it looks like RFK, but it’s been modernized.”

Several renderings have been released since the stadium deal was finalized last year.

Harris says those images show off some of the bells and whistles fans can look forward to, but not all of them.

“We’re doing some of the detailed design features and there’s so many cool opportunities with the innovation in stadiums. Whether it’s the shape of the scoreboard, which we may have some things up our sleeve on,” said Harris. “Whether it’s the size of the scoreboard, the sound, the nature of the roof. Where the premium, how close many of the seats are relative to other stadiums. There’s so many great opportunities.”

The new stadium pays homage to RFK, but Harris says he’s at least four years away from working on the stadium’s name and if it will include RFK.

“The first step is building the stadium. We’re targeting 75,000 seats or availability. We want to host amazing events. We’re trying to get the women’s World Cup to play there, and all the best acts will play there,” said Harris. “There’s so many things to do, so the naming rights is kind of way off.”

The Commanders’ new stadium is expected to open in 2030. The National Capital Planning Commission is expected to vote on the approval of preliminary site and building plans for the RFK stadium project at its Thursday meeting.