D.C. Is on Track to Control Armory Land Near RFK Stadium

The District’s redevelopment plan for the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium campus is one step closer to fruition after a federal planning commission approved the transfer Thursday of the D.C. Armory to local control.

The National Capital Planning Commission voted to transfer jurisdiction of the 9.4 acres to D.C., the first step in giving the local government authority over the land. The transfer still has to be approved by the mayor, the D.C. Council and Congress.

The D.C. Armory, headquarters of the D.C. National Guard, is included in the District’s drafted master plan as a space to be “considered in concert with” the development of the Commanders’ stadium and surrounding recreation areas. Similar to the rest of the RFK site, the federal government will retain ownership of the property, but the District will be in charge of maintaining and redeveloping it.

Plans for the site remain up in the air. The RFK site plan recommends the land be used for commercial and residential development, but the transfer agreement does not approve the demolition of the Armory building. A spokesperson at the RFK Project Management Office said the District “has not made a final determination about the future use of the DC Armory site” and that any future use will require planning and review.

Though the Armory will remain standing, it will likely no longer be home to the D.C. National Guard, which is looking for a new headquarters site. Spokesperson Arthur Wright said the redevelopment of the RFK campus will affect the Guard’s mission capabilities, thus necessitating the move. The Guard hasn’t made any final decisions but is primarily considering an 80-acre patch of land at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Northwest D.C.

“This effort is designed to be a strategic investment in our national security, ensuring our soldiers and airmen have the state-of-the-art facilities they need to respond to any crisis,” he said. “We are committed to working closely with our partners in the D.C. government and the local community throughout this process.”