What do YOU want at RFK? (A Merry-Go-Round!)

Wouldn’t it be great to have a year-round carousel at RFK? (…among other things…) Photo by María Helena Carey

The saga of “What to do with RFK?” should be a straightforward one: get input from neighbors first, and then from the city at large to insure that those who will benefit or be most affected by what is likely to be years of construction and inconvenience to the neighborhood’s easternmost boundaries have been heard. As it turns out, it’s not very simple. After two meetings, the DC government and the residents–especially those closest to the stadium grounds themselves– have not come to an agreement.

Events DC has promised to send a recap of the 9/30 meeting, but in the meantime, some residents have started to take action. A coalition of neighbors calling themselves Prioritize DC stands firmly against having a football stadium. In their Change.org petition, they state that,

As residents of D.C., we oppose any proposed plan to build a new football stadium for Dan Snyder and the Washington Football Team. The reason for the opposition is simply a matter of priorities. Football stadiums are very expensive and, unlike baseball and other sports stadiums, used only a handful of times each year. There are much more important and impactful ways to spend a billion or more dollars. (emphasis mine)

One of the residents involved in Priorities DC, Lyndsey Medsker, emphasizes that hosting a football team within the city again should be a concern for the whole city and not just the neighborhood. She says, “I’m concerned the issue has become about people not wanting the stadium in their neighborhood, instead of a bad decision that impacts all DC residents. [There n]eeds to be a city-wide outrage.”

Clinton Yates’s column this morning shone light on the wishes of residents who would want the Washington Football Team back. And really, apart from wishing that the local football team wasn’t so dismal, and understanding that years of losses and poor management have seriously eroded the local and adoptive-local fan base, Yates’s column is a reminder that along with a changing city, there are many who feel their voice is not heard and their identity no longer fits with the current urban zeitgeist. In his column, he also pointed out that less than 100 people showed up to the Wednesday night citywide meeting, which only underscores Medsker’s earlier point: whatever happens in the city, the non-transient population needs to be aware that whatever Reservation 13 and RFK stadium becomes, it will be enjoyed by everyone in DC.

We have enjoyed all the attractions that have come to the cracked, sad-looking parking lots. The carnival has been an especially happy treat in the years it has set up shop around Memorial Day weekend. The photo to the right was taken at one of those carnivals. Why can’t we have some of these things year-round? Why not have a beautiful esplanade with a carousel that echoes its sister to the west, for instance? Why not have better facilities for music festivals like the Kingman Island Bluegrass and Folk Music Festival? Can you imagine having a facility as beautiful and awe-inspiring as Wolf Trap, in the heart of the city? Claudia’s earlier piece on the teens living at DC General getting a beautiful indoor playspace thanks to the Homeless Children Playtime Project only highlights the need for more places where residents can enjoy themselves, both inside and out. Yes, it would be wonderful if we could relive the glory of having the 1992 Washington Winning Football Team; but we also need to realize that as a growing city, our use of outdoor and indoor space should have as its first priority the comfort and joy of all the residents of the city.