Demolition crews tearing down the former RFK Stadium in D.C. will be working on the project for roughly 18 to 22 months before the structure fully comes down, according to Events DC CEO Angie Gates.
鈥淲e are well on our way with the project,鈥� Gates told 草莓传媒.
Structural demolition officially began last month after the National Park Service approved regulatory requirements and issued granting permission to proceed.
Events DC, which manages the stadium, serves as the District鈥檚 convention and sports authority.
鈥淭here will not be an implosion,鈥� Gates explained. 鈥淭here will not be a movie scene like you鈥檙e on the set of a movie.鈥�
Current demolition efforts are primarily focused on selective sections of the stadium鈥檚 interior, which Gates described as being carried out in a 鈥渧ery meticulous鈥� manner.
鈥淭here are some historic artifacts,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淵ou would be amazed the things that you can find when you鈥檙e in the process of a construction project.鈥�
Among the artifacts uncovered are original tickets and concession signs, for example.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an array of items,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淲e inventoried those items, and they are properly stored.鈥�
Gates described the experience of standing inside the hollowed-out structure: 鈥淚t always feels epic. It鈥檚 almost like you can hear the roaring of the stands even in its state of emptiness.鈥�
Interior demolition will continue, and the public will receive advance notice when large sections of the exterior begin coming down, which could happen as early as this summer.
The long-vacant stadium, which has sat unused for years in the heart of the District, last hosted Washington鈥檚 NFL team in 1996, and the D.C. United soccer team played its final game at the stadium in 2017.
On Tuesday, the D.C. Council of the RFK Stadium site 鈥� owned by the federal government 鈥� to the city鈥檚 control, affirming legislation passed by Congress in December that granted D.C. authority over the land.
Some hope the site will eventually be home to a new football stadium to lure the Washington Commanders back to the city. However, the D.C. Council, which has the final say on development plans, has not committed to building a stadium there.
After Tuesday’s vote, Mayor Muriel Bowser celebrated, that D.C. can now “control its destiny at the RFK campus.”
“We have the opportunity to put the land back to productive use for our city,” Bowser said. “Let’s get to work!”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
漏 2025 草莓传媒. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
