Monday, May 19, 2025
Commanders, District Agree on $4-Billion RFK Project?
Fresh off the team’s first playoff appearance in five years, the Washington Commanders NFL franchise is planning a new stadium in a mixed-use project with a total price tag of almost $4 billion. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Commanders announced late last month that the stadium would be at the old RFK Stadium site in Southeast D.C. Pending District Council approval, the new stadium would break ground sometime in 2026 and open in 2030.
Bowser Seeks Repeal of Tipped Minimum Wage Initiative ?
Mayor Muriel Bowser wants to repeal Initiative 82, a law passed on the 2022 ballot to bring D.C.’s minimum hourly wage for tipped workers, then $5.35, up to the standard, currently $17.95, by 2027. In her fiscal 2026 budget proposal, Bowser is including legislation to overturn the initiative as a way to support struggling restaurants and promote the District’s focus on hospitality and tourism. Approval by the District Council will be required.
Army Grounds Helicopters Flying Near Reagan Airport?
After two incidents on May 1 in which commercial jets aborted their landings at Reagan National Airport, the Army announced that a Virginia helicopter unit, the 12th Aviation Battalion, would suspend flights to the Pentagon. The unit was also involved in the Jan. 29 crash of a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet over the Potomac that killed all 62 on board. Operations will be paused until an internal inquiry is completed.?
The National Mall will be the site of the 2027 NFL Draft. Courtesy National Park Service.
Trump: NFL Draft Coming to National Mall in 2027?
The 2027 NFL Draft will be in D.C. on the National Mall, President Donald Trump announced last week. Typically lasting a few days, the draft, an annual affair, is a selection of the top college football players by NFL teams. Players must be out of high school for three years to be eligible to be drafted. Trump made the announcement from the Oval Office, along with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Washington Commanders managing partner Josh Harris and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The 2026 draft will be in Pittsburgh.?
DDOT Plans 3-Year Project to Repair Roosevelt Bridge
The Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, which extends over the Potomac River between D.C. and Arlington, Virginia, will undergo a rehabilitation project lasting more than three years. The District Department of Transportation has declared the bridge to be structurally deficient and functionally obsolete, with exposed steel and broken pipes. The project, to include sidewalk widening among other improvements, is the first in the bridge’s 60-year history.?
‘Cultural Gentrification’ Causing Chinatown to Shrink
Longtime residents are concerned about the shrinking of D.C.’s Chinatown in the face of real estate development and the Capital One Arena renovation. While the projects and events mean more business for the area’s mom-and-pop shops, the new fast-casual restaurants and bars have added competition and raised rents. In the Washington Post, Ted Gong, executive director of a community organization, called it a form of “cultural gentrification.”?
District Set Record of 27 Million Visitors in 2024?
Destination DC announced last week that the District had a record number of visitors in 2024 — 27 million to be exact, including 2.2 million international visitors. The figure surpassed 2023’s record by 1.25 million. The tourism bump accounted for $11.4 billion in spending and $2.3 billion in tax revenue, supporting over 111,000 jobs. Thanks to the higher visitor volume, each household in D.C. is said to save nearly $4,000 in taxes.