Commanders pick Clark | Mortenson | SmootDC to build $3.8B DC stadium. The Washington Commanders have selected a joint venture of Clark Construction, Mortenson and Smoot Construction to build their new $3.8 billion stadium at the former RFK Stadium site, with completion targeted for spring 2030. The Washington Commanders have picked the construction team that will build their new $3.8 billion stadium on the former RFK Stadium site in Washington, D.C., the team announced Aug. 11, tapping a joint venture of three firms with a combined résumé that includes some of the NFL's newest venues. The joint venture - branded Clark | Mortenson | SmootDC - pairs Clark Construction Group and Mortenson, two national builders with extensive stadium experience, with Smoot Construction Company of Washington, D.C., a Black-owned firm that has operated in the region for nearly 60 years. The team was selected to serve as construction manager for the roughly 65,000-seat, enclosed stadium planned for the 180-acre RFK campus along the Anacostia River. "We are confident this partnership will help us create a premier destination that serves our fans, drives economic opportunity, and leaves a lasting legacy for generations to come," Matt Haas, the Commanders' head of construction, said in the team's announcement. Smoot Construction CEO Mark S. Cain called the selection a milestone for his firm. "After almost 60 years as your hometown builder, our pride and excitement in the new Commanders Stadium is beyond measure," Cain said. Clark Group CEO Lee DeLong and Mortenson vice president and general manager Logan Gerken were also quoted in the release touting the venture's track record. That track record is substantial. Clark, Mortenson and Smoot have separately worked on Nationals Park in Washington, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas - home of the Raiders - and U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, home of the Vikings, according to the Commanders' announcement. The team said site-enabling work at RFK began in June, with main stadium construction set to start in spring 2027 and completion targeted for spring 2030, in time for the team to open its 2030 season there. A $3.8 billion project years in the making. The selection was corroborated the same day by WJLA/ABC7 Washington. The construction announcement is the latest step in a stadium plan the District of Columbia Council approved in a lopsided 11-2 vote in September 2025, a deal city officials called the largest economic-development project in D.C. history. Under that agreement, the Commanders are financing roughly $2.7 billion of the project, while the D.C. government is contributing about $1.1 billion for surrounding infrastructure, parking and recreational space on the broader RFK campus. The new stadium is designed to be enclosed and climate-controlled, with roughly 1.8 million square feet of space and capacity to host more than 200 events a year beyond Commanders games - a shift from the open-air RFK Stadium the team called home until 1996 and last played in during the 1996 season before moving to what is now Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. Returning to Washington proper has been a stated priority for team ownership since Josh Harris' group bought the franchise in 2023. For the Washington region's construction and real estate industry, the project represents one of the largest active development commitments in the market, arriving as the broader RFK campus is also being planned for additional housing, retail and green space once the stadium is complete. It joins a small group of multibillion-dollar sports-facility developments underway nationally, including plans for a new NBA arena on the Las Vegas Strip backed by VICI Properties and Caesars. The scale of the financing commitment also mirrors a broader trend of lenders and owners lining up nine- and ten-figure sums for major urban construction projects, such as the $1.2 billion construction loan BXP recently secured for a Manhattan office tower. What it means. The contractor selection confirms that the Commanders are moving from planning into execution on a timeline that would have the team playing at a new D.C. stadium in 2030 - a verified fact from the team's own announcement. The $3.8 billion total project cost and the city-team financing split are drawn from the D.C. Council's September 2025 approval, reported at the time by the Washington Post; RealtyWire is citing that figure as background context rather than new news, since Tuesday's announcement covered the construction team, not new financing terms. Whether the project stays on its spring 2027-to-spring 2030 construction schedule will be a story to watch, given the scale of simultaneous site work, financing drawdowns and the district's parallel plans for the surrounding RFK campus.

Washington Commanders announce constructors of new stadium. 11th August 2026 The Washington Commanders have selected a joint venture of Clark Construction Group, Mortenson, and Smoot Construction Company of Washington, DC (Clark | Mortenson | SmootDC, A Joint Venture) to lead the construction of its new world-class stadium in Washington, DC. The 1.8-million-square-foot venue will serve as the Commanders' home field and a dynamic year-round community hub for sports and entertainment. Located at the site of the former RFK Stadium, the new stadium will anchor a vibrant 180-acre campus. Designed to reflect the unique character of the DC region, the approximately 65,000-seat enclosed facility will feature a climate-controlled environment, ensuring a premium, year-round fan experience. The state-of-the-art campus will have the ability to host more than 200 events annually, including global sporting events, concerts, community festivals, and national celebrations. Sustainability, advanced technology, and an immersive fan experience will be at the forefront of the stadium's design. The stadium and broader site development represent a generational opportunity and the single largest private investment in the city's history to deliver jobs and fuel economic growth. Driven by a commitment to ensuring the project creates a lasting legacy, the Commanders have prioritized both Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) participation and hiring DC residents. This strategy ensures that the tangible economic benefits from the stadium's construction will be felt by DC-based businesses and residents for decades to come. The Clark | Mortenson | SmootDC team brings together industry-leading builders with a proven track record of successfully delivering complex, high-profile sports and entertainment venues, including local landmarks like Nationals Park and Capital One Arena, as well as premier NFL stadiums, such as Allegiant Stadium and U.S. Bank Stadium. With a long-standing history in the DC region, a legacy of empowering small and local businesses, and extensive turnkey mega-stadium expertise, the joint venture is uniquely qualified to deliver a best-in-class venue while driving meaningful opportunities for the local community. "Selecting Clark | Mortenson | SmootDC was about finding a team with the experience, local commitment, and shared vision necessary to deliver one of the most important projects in our franchise's history. Their combined experience building some of the most iconic venues in professional sports, together with their strong presence in the DC region and commitment to community impact, made them the clear choice for this transformational project. We are confident this partnership will help us create a premier destination that serves our fans, drives economic opportunity, and leaves a lasting legacy for generations to come." - Matt Haas, Head of Construction, Washington Commanders. "Clark is deeply committed to the DC region and honored to join forces with the Washington Commanders, District leaders, and our construction partners to bring this visionary project to life. The stadium represents an inspiring new chapter for sports and entertainment in DC, serving as both a modern civic landmark and a powerful catalyst for economic growth and community connection. With a rich history of delivering projects that have defined the District skyline, we share the Commanders' dedication to creating a world-class entertainment destination, and to ensuring the stadium's construction leaves an enduring legacy in the DC community, and beyond." - Lee DeLong, Group CEO. "Mortenson is honored to partner with Clark, SmootDC, and the Washington Commanders to deliver a stadium that reflects the ambition and legacy of this franchise and this city. Our team brings proven NFL stadium expertise - from U.S. Bank Stadium to Allegiant Stadium - and a track record of on-time, on-budget delivery that ensures opening day certainty. This project represents more than exceptional design and construction; it's an opportunity to create a world-class venue that serves as a catalyst for community connection and economic opportunity in the District for generations to come." - Logan Gerken, Vice President / General Manager, Mortenson Sports + Entertainment "After almost 60 years of being your hometown builder, our pride and excitement in the new Commanders Stadium is beyond measure. We thank the Commanders and DC for entrusting us with another monumental project as we continue our legacy of making a positive impact on the neighborhoods in which we work, on minority and small businesses that we work with, and on residents that work with us." - Mark S. Cain, President & CEO, Smoot Construction Company, DC. Enabling work to prepare the former RFK site for stadium construction began in June. Construction on the new Washington Commanders Stadium is anticipated to begin in spring 2027, with a targeted completion date of spring 2030.