The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts is set to review concept plans for two parking garages that are expected to make up a critical component of D.C.’s planned new Washington Commanders stadium and surrounding campus redevelopment. The designs, submitted by the RFK Stadium Project Management Office and the Commanders, show the two garages will be on either side of the stadium and total 6,000 parking spaces. The structures, G1 and G2, will add to the roughly 2,000 existing surface parking spaces on the site.
Designs and Restrictions
G1 will sit directly south of the stadium. The submission materials state it is intended to maintain waterfront access, preserve views, and avoid the concentration of parking and traffic in a single area of the RFK Campus. It is slated to have nine levels, and two architectural design concepts are under assessment to create a visually pleasing structure. Both designs include pedestrian connectivity to the stadium, a green roof and solar panels.
G2 will be north and northeast of the stadium. It is intended to facilitate access to the campus from major roadways while minimizing traffic impacts on Kingman Park and other nearby residential streets, according to the materials. It will include eight parking levels and connectivity to the stadium.
Public space around the garages is imagined to support arts and craft festivals, farmers markets, outdoor concerts and other community uses. The submission document describes the structures as integral components of the RFK Campus and says they are envisioned as much more than parking infrastructure.
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Approval Process
They are an opportunity to create architecture and public spaces that contribute to the identity, character, and everyday life of the campus and surrounding neighborhood.
The National Capital Planning Commission will review the parking garage concept plans on Oct. 1. Members of the NCPC and the CFA have previously expressed concerns about the garages, including over whether they would obstruct views. A community group near the proposed G2 has opposed any multilevel garage near its Kingman Park neighborhood, instead calling for a new metro station. The Commanders and the NCPC didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
The garages will be part of the planned 180-acre mixed-use RFK campus, which is slated to include between 5,000 and 6,500 homes and be anchored by a 70,000-seat Commanders stadium. The District released its draft master plan for the campus in June and accepted comments until mid-August. The size of planned parking garage structures was one of residents’ key concerns. The D.C. Office of Planning expects to submit a revised master plan to the D.C. Council this fall.