Commanders get good news on RFK stadium deal

"Today is a historic day for D.C., the Commanders organization, and our fans. With the council's approval, we can now move forward on the transformative RFK project that will bring lasting economic growth for our city. This achievement wouldn't have been possible without the dedication and collaboration between Mayor Bowser, Chairman Mendelson, the council and the countless community, business and labor leaders whose voices and input helped shape the process every step of the way," Commanders managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement.

"We are deeply grateful for the warm return to the district and the center of the DMV, and look forward to officially beinging the team back to its spiritual home in 2030."

The Commanders have been eyeing a move back to D.C. for a while and efforts ramped up after Harris purchased the team from Dan Snyder two years ago. After a number of obstacles hurting the process, the franchise has been given the go-ahead to start playing in Washington D.C. in five years' time.

During the next couple of years, the Commanders will work towards renovating and building one of the league's state-of-the-art stadiums in hopes of revitalizing the organization and the city as well.

The franchise played at RFK Stadium from 1961-96 before beginning play at Northwest Stadium (formerly Jack Kent Cooke Stadium and FedEx Field) in 1997. The franchise will keep things going in Landover for the next five years before coming back to the district at the start of the next decade.