{"id":737728,"date":"2026-07-01T22:17:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T22:17:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/737728\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T22:17:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T22:17:12","slug":"the-d-c-office-of-planning-releases-masterplan-for-robert-f-kennedy-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/737728\/","title":{"rendered":"The D.C. Office of Planning releases masterplan for Robert F. Kennedy Campus"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The District of Columbia Office of Planning and Mayor Muriel Bowser\u2019s office <a href=\"https:\/\/mayor.dc.gov\/release\/mayor-bowser-releases-draft-master-plan-guide-transformation-rfk-campus\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">released<\/a> the <a href=\"https:\/\/dcgov.app.box.com\/v\/RFKcampusdraftplan\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Robert F. Kennedy Campus Master Plan<\/a> for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archpaper.com\/tag\/mixed-use\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">mixed-use<\/a> development anchored by a new Washington Commanders Stadium.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archpaper.com\/tag\/washington-d-c\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Washington, D.C.<\/a> site encompasses the land where the demolished Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Memorial Stadium was situated. The masterplan is by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archpaper.com\/tag\/gensler\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gensler<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archpaper.com\/tag\/perkins-eastman\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Perkins Eastman<\/a>, and is in tandem with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archpaper.com\/2026\/01\/washington-commanders-stadium-renderings\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the design by HKS for the new stadium<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archpaper.com\/2026\/04\/ojb-washington-commanders-stadium\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">plans for landscaping around the sports venue by OJB<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Renderings of the mixed-use neighborhood depict buildings faced in brick and glass, populated sidewalks, and walking and cycling trails toward the water\u2019s edge.<\/p>\n<p>Perkins Eastman was hired in 2023 by the Washington Commanders to plan the portions of the site under the team\u2019s control. Gensler was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/washington\/news\/2026\/01\/14\/gensler-dc-rfk-campus-master-plan-commanders.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">awarded a $750,000 contract<\/a> from the District of Columbia late last year to plan the city-owned land next to the stadium. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mayor.dc.gov\/release\/mayor-bowser-releases-draft-master-plan-guide-transformation-rfk-campus\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Per the Office of Planning<\/a>, 33 events were held to gather community input from almost 1,800 participants.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-419101 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Image-6-30-26-at-4.32-PM-1-e1782927388642.jpg\" alt=\"in the robert f kennedy campus masterplan wide islands will provide pedestrian space between traffic lane\" width=\"1526\" height=\"1796\"  \/>Wide islands will provide pedestrian space between traffic lanes. (District of Columbia Office of Planning)<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-419103 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Image-6-30-26-at-4.33-PM.jpg\" alt=\"watercolor rendering of new washington commanders stadium\" width=\"1900\" height=\"1162\"  \/>Dedicated space for tailgating and other events will be located outside the stadium. (District of Columbia Office of Planning)<\/p>\n<p>The masterplan outlines a development framework and urban design guidelines for the 180-acre site on the Anacostia River, at the terminus of the capital\u2019s monument axis. It calls for between 5,500 and 6,500 new housing units, 30 percent affordable, and a total of 6,000 garage parking spaces.<\/p>\n<p>Thirty percent of the site will be given over to public space and greenery. Community-serving retail, neighborhood-centered services, and entertainment destinations could also take shape.<\/p>\n<p>The new Washington Commanders football stadium will rise at most 130 feet tall. Development blocks surrounding the stadium will rise up to heights of 110 feet. <\/p>\n<p>These heights are consistent with the zoning regulations of the 1910 Act to Regulate the Height of Buildings.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-419100 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Image-6-30-26-at-4.31-PM.jpg\" alt=\"a map showing landmarks within the campus\" width=\"1464\" height=\"1900\"  \/>Approximately 30 percent of the site is given over to greenery and public space. (District of Columbia Office of Planning)<\/p>\n<p>The masterplan organizes the campus in six parts: the stadium, plaza, riverfront, and recreation districts, and Kingman and Anacostia Commons.<\/p>\n<p>Anacostia Commons will hug the riverbank, and create a 200-foot, building-free buffer between the campus and the water. The \u201cnatural riparian zone\u201d is required by law, as part of the District\u2019s 99-year lease for the site with the federal government.<\/p>\n<p>The stadium anchors the entertainment district, with a generous entry plaza and concessions areas slated to be built around it. The plaza district will be transit-oriented and can be used for tailgating and pop-ups.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Plans for the recreation district include athletic fields and community open space. Next to the recreation district, Kingman Commons would be home to a new SportsPlex and outdoor spaces.<\/p>\n<p>Arterial roads and traffic patterns will consider multimodal access by improving pedestrian safety and adding space for bikes and other transit options. A main corridor, 22nd Street, would serve as a spine for the campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-419105 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Image-6-30-26-at-4.35-PM.jpg\" alt=\"22nd Street will have a dedicated bus lane\" width=\"1793\" height=\"742\"  \/>A main corridor at 22nd Street will have a dedicated bus lane. (District of Columbia Office of Planning)<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-419102 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Image-6-30-26-at-4.32-PM-e1782927370977.jpg\" alt=\"rendering of landscaping and buildings for rober f kennedy campus\" width=\"1463\" height=\"1810\"  \/>Rendering of riverfront, looking east (District of Columbia Office of Planning)<\/p>\n<p>The corridor will be multimodal, and have a dedicated bus lane, two lanes for cars, and a cycling path. Its sidewalks would be lined with restaurants, seating, and more. Secondary streets will be four-lanes wide.<\/p>\n<p>In line with the 2021 District Comprehensive Plan, the masterplan seeks to rectify past spatial planning injustices that marginalized the historic Black communities in proximity to the campus, the Office of Planning said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The masterplan addresses inequities by \u201cmaking investments in public space, housing opportunities, and economic benefits in communities most affected by historic and ongoing racial disparities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Planners used disaggregated data to understand current neighborhood conditions and assess racial inequities related to housing access, transportation, fresh food access, and socio-economic determinants, such as educational and employment options.<\/p>\n<p>Now that the masterplan has been released, a public comment period begins that lasts through August 14. <\/p>\n<p>The final masterplan will be submitted to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archpaper.com\/tag\/national-capital-planning-commission\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">National Capital Planning Commission<\/a> in September 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The District of Columbia Office of Planning and Mayor Muriel Bowser\u2019s office released the Robert F. Kennedy Campus&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":737729,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[228,226,227,229,88,49374,2053,56097,133250,166456,19068,2805],"class_list":["post-737728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-gensler","tag-housing","tag-mixed-use","tag-national-capital-planning-commission","tag-perkins-eastman","tag-stadiums","tag-washington-d-c"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/737728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=737728"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/737728\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/737729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=737728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=737728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=737728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}