WASHINGTON (7News) -- Seemingly, before the ink could dry on the bill passed by Congress to transfer control of the old RFK Stadium site to D.C., the city put up a website requesting feedback from the community on what to do with the land.
7News On Your Side obtained these responses through a public records request, which revealed the majority of people who sent in their opinion oppose a new stadium, despite Mayor Muriel Bowser moving full steam ahead with a deal with the Washington Commanders.
Of those, 151 people, or 36 %, stated they support a new stadium in place of the rusted husk of the old RFK Stadium, with responses including:
Meanwhile, 266 respondents, or 63 %, oppose a stadium. There were two responses that were off-topic.
Critics of a stadium plan point to the need for more housing and retail options in the city, as expressed in these comments calling for mixed-use development instead of a stadium:
Many of those residents who oppose a stadium also pointed to the need to preserve the current fields at the RFK Stadium campus, utilized by youth sports programs.
"Losing the RFK fields would be catastrophic to so many of our young athletes," one commenter wrote.
"It's crucial to preserve and expand the fields that are essential for the children," another added.
At her budget unveiling Tuesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser repeated her defense for a new stadium on the campus, despite budget challenges and the need for tax dollars for a portion of the project.
"We have to have a city that grows. We can't invest in the best schools if we don't have the revenue to do that. We can't have the types of human services, programs that we've invested in if we don't have revenues," Bowser said Tuesday.
This split in opinions largely reflects what 7News On Your Side has seen at recent in-person community feedback meetings.
"Let's build this stadium Super Bowl status, because we're not just going to build another RFK and rebuild it," one resident stated at a February meeting.
At another community meeting earlier this month, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert defended the mayor's reasoning for a stadium.
"That's been our history in the District of Columbia: When we invite an anchor to a site, it accelerates development much more quickly," Albert said.
However, much like what was reflected in the 17 pages of responses from the city's website, 7News On Your Side found the vast majority of residents at community meetings opposed a new stadium.
"I'm very opposed to public funding for stadiums, and I'm very disappointed we're going to be using taxpayer funds to support the stadium. Billionaires should be paying for their own stadium," one resident said at a February meeting.
At the May meeting in Ward 5, one resident told 7News, "They need affordable housing, they need green space."
Another resident at that Ward 5 meeting raised concerns that the city was not listening to the feedback.
"It's like the plan is already set and we have to accept it," that resident told 7News. "Is there any way we can make changes in this plan?"