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Demolition is well underway at the old RFK Stadium in D.C., and if you’ve driven by recently, you’ve likely noticed just how much progress has been made.
One by one, the stadium’s signature roof beams are coming down as crews work from the top down. Much of the upper structure is being dismantled. Metal is being cut and removed by heavy machinery, and eventually, the entire site will be leveled, leaving behind just sand.
“Instead of doing an implosion, which would cause a lot of dust and other particles going into the air, we’re very sensitive to making sure that all of the environmental and safety concerns were our No. 1 priority,” said Steven Johnson, executive vice president of Events D.C., which is overseeing the project.
The city offered a look at the demolition a day before the D.C. Council is set to take its second and final vote on the Commanders stadium deal — a plan that could bring the team back to the RFK site with a newly built stadium.
Built in 1961, the original RFK Stadium was not only home to D.C.’s NFL team but also hosted D.C. United for several seasons.
It was where Washington’s football team defeated the Minnesota Vikings in 1988 to advance to the Super Bowl, which they would go on to win against the Denver Broncos. It’s also the site where, in 1966, The Beatles made history with a performance for more than 31,000 fans.
In the area that once held the turf where Washington football and D.C. United history was made, heavy machinery is now at work.
“One is a crane, and also another piece of equipment to take down the upper parts of the footings of the actual stadium,” Johnson said.
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Nina Albert, deputy mayor for planning and economic development, said watching the stadium come down is “pretty neat.”
“To see a structure of this magnitude being brought down piece by piece is really dramatic. I mean, it’s incredibly exciting. We’re starting to see the literal steel structure of it, and it kind of reveals new layers of, you know, kind of honestly beautiful design,” Albert said.
She added that the ability to see down to the Anacostia River without the stadium obstructing the view will be “insane.”
“We haven’t seen this view in what, 60 years, and so I would say we should all take advantage of it over the next two to three years before construction begins, and capture what it was like to have an open view to the Anacostia from this particular point,” she said.
Many of the roof beams are already gone, and Johnson said whether the Commanders stadium deal goes through or not, RFK had to come down due to safety concerns.
With 814 tons of old metal soon to be on the ground, the city is already thinking about how to give some of it new life.
“We are currently engaged in conversations with local D.C. artists as to how they can even try to use some of those materials to put in their current art pieces,” Johnson said.
Seats from the stadium are also up for sale, and Johnson said they are exploring the idea of offering more relics to fans from the demolition, which is expected to be completed by fall of next year.
You can watch the progress via a live web stream on Events D.C.’s website.
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