[Lincolnparkdc] Do we really want a new football stadium?

Fri Aug 18 11:33:56 EDT 2023

A conversation with DC Councilmember Charles Allen
[https://r20.rs6.net/on.jsp?ca=0be19b00-e5f0-4605-a258-e7c8d5ba4304&a=1129315865146&c=2a86f568-48a5-11ed-8b8e-fa163e8f1741&ch=2a87cc5e-48a5-11ed-8b8e-fa163e8f1741]

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Do we really want a new football stadium?

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Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in 1988. One big parking lot. Not much economic benefit for DC. Photo: Ken Hammond, March 1, 1988, Public Domain

Join us for a DCEN Environmental Leaders Assembly Chat:
DC Councilmember Charles Allen on finding better uses for taxpayer dollars and District lands.

"...NFL stadiums are a poor use of land that have proven to be bad investments of your tax dollars. They take up acres of prime real estate for stadiums that sit dark more than 90% of the year, require enormous amounts of parking to accommodate events, and don't create the promised economic activity and jobs." - Charles Allen, Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 6

On September 26th @ 7:30 PM, join the DC Environmental Network, Councilmember Charles Allen, and other advocates, for a DCEN Environmental Leaders Assembly focused on the future of the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium planning area. At this assembly Councilmember Charles Allen will expand on his concerns<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001W29BH9fPga7Hc_DjR1IO3uGYO3WxgrzVroLp1vTwgAPqVYhIcALny9g18cD3jU7JxRpb1ZNqgK-KbsFanNAEd25opXn0l-WMaZb0gea9nI655Kj28e8xAKLqwRn5zsQjdzAL1pnlFKUfvdJ13gM_rw==&c=6joFbqodkt_fiYUYPHSopiN8_4JFv_oBxF-F5GeglGtSB-edQsOV3w==&ch=OPtr7uJaXxNU9BKjwRzRMoibQVJa4svbRTJQIm3DkxqYwsOOl4x4ag==> including:

  *   The 190 acres alongside the Anacostia River could be so much more than oceans of asphalt for surface parking and a 60,000 seat stadium.
  *   On average, most NFL stadiums only hold 10 to 20 events annually outside of eight NFL home games, meaning the stadium sits empty more than 300 days a year. An enormous space that sits empty doesn’t spur economic growth and doesn’t help the surrounding community, as study after study has demonstrated.
  *   Make no mistake - people drive to NFL games and they're going to park somewhere, regardless of how much is available. At San Francisco's new stadium, they had to rent out all of the parking lots at a nearby amusement park. Where do you think people will park around RFK if there isn't enough parking for fans?
  *   Nationwide, since 1997 we've seen the NFL pit communities against each other while collecting more than $6.7 billion dollars from taxpayers to build stadiums for privately-owned teams. Overall, local taxpayers end up footing around half the bill for a new NFL stadium.
  *   The costs of these projects are always higher than estimated. The five most recent newly-constructed NFL stadiums have surpassed more than $1 billion dollars each!
  *   As a DC resident, I don't want to see DC hoodwinked into paying for a billionaire's stadium. The District needs our tax dollars to create new housing at all levels, support local DC entrepreneurs who run small and local business, take urgent steps forward to shift to a 100% clean energy environment, build larger and modern schools for our growing city, fund our Metro system, and in general spend money to make life better and easier for DC residents.
  *   Sitting on the banks of the historic Anacostia River, a new stadium and all of the traffic and trash that would come along, would set the Anacostia River's improvement back. RFK has never had to meet standards set by the National Environmental Policy Act, and I am concerned any deal worked out under the outgoing Congress would try to extend the exemption to holding the site accountable to environmental standards.

Environmental leaders and activists will listen to Councilmember Allen's rationale, share ideas, and ask questions about how a new football stadium deal might impact the District's environment and economic resiliency.

All are welcome. You must register below to participate in this conversation.

CLICK HERE to sign the HAIL NO TO A NEW STADIUM AT RFK petition! <https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001W29BH9fPga7Hc_DjR1IO3uGYO3WxgrzVroLp1vTwgAPqVYhIcALny9g18cD3jU7JxRpb1ZNqgK-KbsFanNAEd25opXn0l-WMaZb0gea9nI655Kj28e8xAKLqwRn5zsQjdzAL1pnlFKUfvdJ13gM_rw==&c=6joFbqodkt_fiYUYPHSopiN8_4JFv_oBxF-F5GeglGtSB-edQsOV3w==&ch=OPtr7uJaXxNU9BKjwRzRMoibQVJa4svbRTJQIm3DkxqYwsOOl4x4ag==>

Background:

The DC Environmental Network has had a long-standing concern with sports stadium deals including the baseball stadium public financing boondoggle that brought us Nationals Park.

With over 70% of District residents opposing public financing of any kind for the duration of deliberations on the stadium, DCEN, the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, and other partners, led a city-wide campaign that successfully reduced some of the cost that might have hurt taxpayers who struggle the most. Looks like we may have to do this again.

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We have always believed that the billionaire sports barons should cover all the costs of any private sports facility, both the construction of a new stadium or facility, and the cost of maintaining those facilities over the years.

The DC Environmental Network, and others, have also spoken out as loud as we could to share the shady and unsustainable fundamental economics of stadium deals:

  *   Economic research on the impact of professional sports stadiums suggests that any proposal to provide public funds to build a new professional sports stadium in the District of Columbia likely will not generate notable economic or fiscal benefits for the city.
  *   Most studies find that new sports stadiums do not increase employment or incomes. Some even find that stadiums have a modest negative effect on local economies. The reason appears to be that sports stadiums do not increase overall entertainment spending but merely shift it from other entertainment venues to the stadium.
  *   Research also suggests that a stadium alone will not revitalize a neighborhood in DC. Because sports stadiums are not used most of the year, they do not stimulate much development outside the stadium.
  *   A new soccer stadium cannot be expected to generate a net increase in economic activity in the Washington metropolitan area, but it may shift some entertainment spending from the Maryland and Virginia suburbs into the District. Nevertheless, the economic benefits to the District are not likely to outweigh any large proposed stadium subsidy.
  *   The District could use taxpayer dollars more effectively to build a green economy, reduce carbon emissions to combat the climate crisis, and meet the economic needs of struggling residents.

In short, it is dubious to justify the use of public funds to subsidize construction of a new professional stadium in Washington DC on economic development grounds.

Are you coming to the DCEN chat on the future of RFK Stadium?

LOCATION

Register and we will send you meeting links.

DATE AND TIME

09/06/23 7:30pm - 09/06/23 8:30pm US/Eastern

Let's learn more and decide what we want to do.

I'll Be There!<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001W29BH9fPga7Hc_DjR1IO3uGYO3WxgrzVroLp1vTwgAPqVYhIcALny9g18cD3jU7JI5PYBlJumozO9GS-HMydx7eVj5ckLG2Ad09oRbzbkyToWtfGldlL5TdG7fNU6i4lbJUfT2Jc7tzGVoYSoUbxiV6SlVlEQdEzqbqvyuNiu10GLQxuEMg4VawM2I4dhmepR4tMtQzv9VT3bcgzXIIizZf5AwMNR6-Z-kETcIvANrhPsQfaHbWh49UG5Rn8fVOluTBFdYZPJp8WAItM0neZNH5Y0u-bo1ysfAbBRsJmsLsywYsHuwwj_t4JzTlbbjOE_q7R-nbkHrsa0OibBQlzEsegwJFeQ8fgx1HfrqWINOzHS5jM8zLp5NRgRXQa0hbOkYGmUGZVd8MuObW9Ewtb3j2hP0TRUutJOkY5anesRAhoT7w8p9H9vq4ebfiF0IAwgSqQNDssAcHjisMXTYtPMkOhIkxeC3RUvDZErY7we515N4508wlWfrAjJQCWzg_qX2sT82CkfLW_4nicpPuGGHpmvArOOZAGoCKGdAhvDeaufgUaPa--_gUILQpemHfeCBjZdAfDnuMXIupayZbO73eiTv7PASBTySfjNcy3JFo=&c=6joFbqodkt_fiYUYPHSopiN8_4JFv_oBxF-F5GeglGtSB-edQsOV3w==&ch=OPtr7uJaXxNU9BKjwRzRMoibQVJa4svbRTJQIm3DkxqYwsOOl4x4ag==>

Count me in!<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001W29BH9fPga7Hc_DjR1IO3uGYO3WxgrzVroLp1vTwgAPqVYhIcALny9g18cD3jU7J5RO-b209fTh4PVO1Bwg15p1M-9fEjOTEeo-xVXSOpdzvzGalriI1_6UqMUJyp-q_2Aq-TP-cSsCHX-nXLucJGdErdmuJSAVd3oh-kRLctQHGSAIq7xXbmMJ8xeJZ5Af3oxKLNYL7c7sj85VlTT5Y1-PIX-B9CShPMYyFUbGRAdFcLnldX-cQxnB_VoRHD5Kt0EU5dcPK-CacrOffJiS0WR-EGXJmk7yuuOyYuTE_muQArsxjp7E0AsscxWsLj3pNj2eh_2TvpLJOy7-Tgb7Qkj9wE6nGTZxCEQWBSbxv28Y29cpL7l9pqVA_XFpp6etKQiyl7G7v1TXffmK4RCZke97c9PdHKAj1zg2DAuFbqGWFrz95ehrZfc944pZeT4q_DoqwUJiJSg580tIA_9Px6F-5QDLZQRvIn8tSHPad3jxwUTrbPEuP_FLyT7XHHqxJ92QM0Iw-dmhTE4jW8ZWZxFA0zT5YuSJFfLCGBv3X65oAEpSyxJBhGZuql7QPchVIrtppXI1ZOyPyyv_oupJFHOeMxG7ky8DZrBY2nX-dWsg=&c=6joFbqodkt_fiYUYPHSopiN8_4JFv_oBxF-F5GeglGtSB-edQsOV3w==&ch=OPtr7uJaXxNU9BKjwRzRMoibQVJa4svbRTJQIm3DkxqYwsOOl4x4ag==>

I'll be there and find another to join us. <https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001W29BH9fPga7Hc_DjR1IO3uGYO3WxgrzVroLp1vTwgAPqVYhIcALny9g18cD3jU7JFjpEr2PaOcvuKQ6Sx_ofjeHhzsFdKxHCVNZfqqN6ch51WS9gXRm9WN16lWbs14YJzOCN48PRv4uGpJr6QxWGnhSbGCtJ6EFRMzf4hJcgSwEJ7Vk2Qyd4snzKk0KiEl29heKeZZv-kB6RA90hpCG8bK_AhWdbVlVkr3Fp790Wrq_FiYTGiFQ9DGGNzdv22iS-ZZAYruvYLNaBODKBOJ8aJL_Cs6TaUbzUf44jlc4puM5t1LPug9EiN_I4gMOBrKb8aFjVJU0ZCb8BsKYmaZzsYw49FE7O79fda2UO-_1zFTaCT3AVPR6dO9Ub3U9sJ3meTmbZEIUQDgU6QHrPphGpFJYhXJ-6oCFF_eKmg6mzHOxNObVFEKb1CfFam1KFJw337Ey8-qHI46428PhRrOvHw4-W-zmlljStkETgUoMJXhrq_R_xp5I3D44FCohbTW7QQInxeBg3bhRZkOtRluTIlDbGu22m8BxklAk2LsDDDBY67JL7EQHB_8HkxMUIFEbw-z4AOjTUBUX92gPNrsguHHaNZDRxMtSkrSBlxABEcvU=&c=6joFbqodkt_fiYUYPHSopiN8_4JFv_oBxF-F5GeglGtSB-edQsOV3w==&ch=OPtr7uJaXxNU9BKjwRzRMoibQVJa4svbRTJQIm3DkxqYwsOOl4x4ag==>

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