Washington, DC is embarking on a monumental urban transformation. The Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Campus Master Plan, by Gensler and Perkins Eastman, sets forth a comprehensive, community-driven vision to revitalise 180 acres of land along the Anacostia River.
Historically defined by its massive stadium and sprawling, underutilised surface parking lots, the campus is poised to become a dynamic, inclusive, and environmentally resilient destination. Following the 2025 transfer of the site’s jurisdiction from the federal government to the District for a 99-year term, and the announcement that it will serve as the new home for the Washington Commanders football team, the Master Plan establishes a clear roadmap for the site’s future.
Honouring historic roots and looking forward
The RFK Campus occupies land with a deep historical legacy, originally part of the Anacostia River’s tidal flats that supported Native American villages, such as the trading centre of Nacotchtanke, as early as 14,000 years ago.
In the 1790s, Pierre L’Enfant envisioned the area as a commercial hub that would seamlessly connect to the capital’s monumental core, a vision that later evolved under the 1902 McMillan Plan to prioritise parkland.
Today, the Master Plan honours this legacy by aiming to create a vibrant civic gateway that reconnects surrounding neighbourhoods to the waterfront.
A catalyst for economic growth and housing
At the centre of the redevelopment is a massive investment in the District’s economic and residential future. Over the next decade, the project is anticipated to deliver between 5,000 and 6,500 new homes. To ensure this development serves residents across income levels and mitigates the risk of displacement, 30% of these residential units will be dedicated as affordable housing. Specifically, half of these affordable units are set aside for families earning up to 60% of the median family income ($65,824), and the other half are reserved for those earning up to 30% of the median family income ($32,912).
The campus will also act as a major economic engine, projected to generate more than $4bn in new tax revenue over 30 years. The massive construction effort and subsequent operations will create approximately 30,000 construction jobs overall, with about 14,000 of those jobs directly connected to the stadium construction alone and 2,000 permanent jobs. The plan establishes strong commitments to local economic empowerment, mandating that 51% of all new hires be District residents, with specific preferences for nearby Wards 7 and 8.
Six distinct neighbourhoods
To break down the massive 180-acre scale into walkable, human-scaled environments, the Master Plan divides the campus into six distinct districts:
- Stadium District (29.3 acres): Acting as the entertainment anchor, this area features the new 65,000-seat, roofed stadium designed by HKS. It includes a flexible “Festival Plaza” designed to handle massive gameday crowds, while hosting farmers markets and community events year-round.
- Plaza District (18.7 acres): Designed as a transit-oriented mixed-use destination, this area will feature up to 2,200 homes, 700 hotel rooms, and 150,000ft2 of retail. It aims to provide everyday amenities, including opportunities for a much-needed full-service grocery store.
- Riverfront District (19.4 acres): Reconnecting the site to the water, this compact community will offer 3,100 homes, 500 hotel rooms, and 92,000ft2 of retail. It features “River Street,” a pedestrian-focused promenade, and “The Esplanade,” a linear park providing sweeping views of the Anacostia River.
- Kingman Commons (23.0 acres): Serving as a transition to the historic Kingman Park neighbourhood, this residential district will feature up to 1,300 homes, scaled down to respect the existing architecture. It will also house a new indoor SportsPlex.
- Recreation District (32.4 acres): Expanding upon the highly successful 27-acre Fields at RFK, this hub will provide active outdoor recreation, including multi-use turf fields, a relocated skate park, and pole vault facilities.
- Anacostia Commons (30 acres): This natural riparian zone is dedicated entirely to the ecological restoration of the river’s edge. It will offer wetland walks, native meadows, and enhanced trail access to Kingman and Heritage Islands.
A transit-first multimodal network
A core principle of the Master Plan is prioritising walking, cycling, and public transit over private vehicles. The site features a robust multimodal network with protected bike lanes, wide sidewalks, and shared micromobility hubs. To handle the transit demands of gamedays and everyday commuting, the plan proposes major capacity enhancements to the Stadium-Armory Metro station and the introduction of a dedicated two-way Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) transitway extending from Benning Road NE.
While vehicular access is accommodated, sprawling surface lots will be eliminated; parking will be consolidated into above-ground structures and podium parking, delivering 6,000 new, architecturally screened garage spaces.
Parks, recreation, and environmental resilience
The RFK Campus Master Plan fundamentally reconnects the city to the Anacostia River. Legally mandated to dedicate at least 30% of the developable site to parks and open space (excluding the 30-acre riparian zone), the project weaves green infrastructure throughout the new neighbourhoods. This “RFK Memorial Park System” will include civic plazas, neighbourhood parklets, fitness trails, and a continuous riverfront walk.
Sustainability and climate-readiness are embedded into the design, guided by a concurrent National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process to evaluate impacts and ensure that wildlife, water, air quality, and cultural resources are protected. The campus aligns with District-wide goals to be carbon-neutral and climate-resilient by 2045.
Development will feature LEED Gold commercial and LEED Silver residential buildings, nature-based stormwater management systems, and an extensive tree canopy expansion. To that end, the Washington Commanders voluntarily committed in a September 2025 letter to preserving as many of the site’s existing Heritage Trees as possible and planting new trees throughout the campus.
Centring equity and community voices
The Master Plan was heavily shaped by an 18-month community engagement process that included over 26 public engagements ranging from workshops and focus groups to site walks, involving nearly 1,800 stakeholders. Acknowledging the historic inequities faced by communities East of the River, the plan deliberately centres equity by addressing unmet community needs.
The inclusion of fresh food access, primary care services, a new Fire and EMS facility, and small business opportunities directly respond to public feedback. Through anti-displacement strategies, rent stabilisation assistance, and the creation of a Community Reinvestment Fund, the project ensures the economic boom benefits longtime locals.
Looking ahead to 2030 and beyond
To facilitate this vision, the District introduced the RFK Small Area Plan Amendment Act, a crucial legislative step that updates the Comprehensive Plan’s Future Land Use Map (FLUM) to officially allow for mixed-use development on the campus.
The RFK Campus will be completed in phases. The stadium’s opening is targeted for 2030. This initial phase will deliver the stadium, team offices, the primary Festival Plaza, event-day parking garages, and the public SportsPlex. Subsequent phases will see the build-out of the Plaza and Riverfront Districts led by the Commanders, followed by District-led developments in Kingman Commons and the Recreation District.
Ultimately, the RFK Campus Master Plan will create a vibrant, year-round civic gateway where residents of all ages and backgrounds can live, play, gather, and thrive.
