The Commanders’ return to the District of Columbia cleared another roadblock on Thursday.

D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson announced an agreement with the team that paves the way for an Aug. 1 vote on the new RFK Stadium proposal.

The measure is widely expected to pass through the council.

Full planning would begin immediately before a groundbreaking next year. Team officials expect the stadium to be ready for the 2030 NFL season.

“We’ve been working with the Washington Commanders for several weeks, and we feel we have a much-improved agreement that would bring the team back to their historical home, as well as develop the land around the RFK campus,” Mr. Mendelson said.

The updated deal features adjusted tax revenue rates and a $50 million community benefit fund. The team has also agreed to move its senior leadership and sales offices from College Park, Maryland, to the District.

“It’s clear that the Commanders showed through their negotiations their commitment to the District. And their willingness to consider what’s in the best interest of our citizens,” the chairman said. “The process working with the Commanders has been extremely productive, and they’ve been a cooperative partner.”

Several local legislators had expressed apprehension toward the deal since it was announced in April. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser negotiated the initial agreement with input from the council, they said.

“Overwhelmingly, residents have asked the council for due diligence on this multibillion-dollar deal,” Mr. Mendelson said. “And under immense outside pressure to rush the process, I feel that, along with next week’s hearings, the council will have what’s needed to move forward with a vote.”

The chairman, mayor and Commanders officials painted the adjusted deal as a win.

“Through this process, we’ve seen firsthand how committed our city’s leaders are to building a strong future for the District,” Mark Clouse, president of the Commanders, said in a statement. “With the council’s announcement today, the opportunity to bring the team back to its spiritual home and revitalize a critical part of the nation’s capital is now one step closer.”

Representatives from the Commanders have routinely urged the apprehensive D.C. Council to quickly approve the project. Team officials want to break ground as soon as possible to open the stadium in five years and potentially host the Women’s World Cup in 2031.

The franchise also plans to lobby for marquee events like WWE’s Wrestlemania, the NFL’s Super Bowl and NCAA basketball’s Final Four. 

“We believe in the transformative power of this project for D.C.,” Mr. Clouse said. “And [we] thank Mayor Bowser for her vision and leadership, as well as Chairman Mendelson and the council for their thoughtfulness and diligence in collaborating on our plan.”

The original agreement saw a $2.7 billion investment from the NFL franchise, with $1.1 billion from the city for infrastructure and parking garages.

The resulting $3.8 billion stadium and surrounding economic district would transform the decaying RFK Stadium into a destination, the team and lawmakers said.

Originally, the stadium deal outlined that all revenue, including tax income, would go to the Commanders. The updated proposal would see $112 million in parking taxes going to the city along with $54 million in merchandise tax revenue and $248 million in food and beverage tax income.

The total change will net $674 million in tax revenue for the city over the course of 30 years, Mr. Mendelson said. With an added $50 million in community benefits, such as youth sports and education and $55 million through restructured debt and interest, the changes could save the city $779 million, based on his projections. 

His office estimated that the presence of the team, stadium and surrounding district would generate $26.6 billion in tax revenue over 30 years. 

Local lawmakers have lobbied for control of the stadium site since the Commanders left for Landover, Maryland, following the 1996 season. They got their wish late last year when federal legislators gave the District “administrative jurisdiction” over the site for 99 years.

Skeptics’ concerns about the proposed new stadium centered around traffic impacts in the area. 

The initial plan called for just 8,000 parking spots for a 65,000-seat stadium. The bulk of parking would slot into above-ground garages, much to the dismay of residents in the adjacent Kingman Park neighborhood.

Many of them, along with Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, have lobbied for fewer parking spots and more investment in the Metro. The stadium is served by the Stadium-Armory Stop, but Mr. Allen has called for a second stop to ease game-day congestion. 

As part of the new deal, the city will divert $600 million from a ballpark fee — officially titled the “Sports Facility Fee” — to a “Transportation Improvement Fund for Metro improvements.”

The adjusted proposal also sets certain deadlines for the development of the surrounding economic district and planned housing — the plan calls for 6,000 homes and 1,800 affordable housing units. The team could face financial penalties if it misses the benchmarks. 

The housing issue was front of mind for D.C. residents who worried about the opportunity cost of a stadium. They’ve voiced concerns that a stadium would take priority over public parks, grocery stores and housing. 

“We’re not trading housing for a stadium — we’re using the momentum of the stadium to build more housing,” Ms. Bowser wrote on X. “Without it, 180 acres of opportunity sit vacant. With it, we build over 6,000 new units of housing in Ward 7. It’s a win for our team, our city and our residents.” 

The D.C. Council will host a pair of public hearings before the Aug. 1 vote. The first forum on Tuesday will feature more than 400 speakers who have signed up to voice their concerns and support for the project. A second hearing on Wednesday will let lawmakers question team officials regarding the plans.

A wild card still awaits, threatening the stadium’s viability. President Trump said no deal if the team doesn’t change its name back to the Redskins. The franchise abandoned the old name and American Indian logo in 2020 amid threatened boycotts and pulled sponsorships.

“I may put a restriction on them that if they don’t change the name back to the original ‘Washington Redskins,’ and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders,’ I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington,” Mr. Trump wrote on social media on Sunday. “The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone.”

The Commanders have not responded to the president’s threat. Ms. Bowser and Mr. Mendelson shrugged off the concerns, stating that they were more focused on the stadium deal itself than any potential name change.

Both elected officials noted that they would not withdraw their support for the stadium if the franchise returned to the old name.

• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.