Residents of Kingman Park, next to the old RFK Stadium campus where a new Washington Commanders stadium is being built, are speaking out about what they want to see in the surrounding development.
Walk around the site where RFK Stadium used to stand and you’ll notice there’s almost nothing there anymore. Further exploration of the neighborhood surrounding the old stadium grounds reveals a lot of one particular thing not seen in renderings of the planned new stadium released Thursday by the Washington Commanders — homes.
An initial rendering of the planned new Washington Commanders stadium, as seen from the Anacostia River.
Many people call the Kingman Park neighborhood and surrounding area home. The neighborhood is just west of the stadium campus, and residents there hope their neighborhood benefits not from the new stadium itself, but the planned development that will surround it.
“This neighborhood needs grocery stores,” Alexis Pazmino, who leads the Friends of Kingman Park Civic Association, said. “We need a full-service grocery store over by RFK. You know, we don’t have any in this neighborhood.”
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She also said she hopes local business owners will benefit from development around the new stadium, which is slated to open for the start of the Washington Commanders’ season in 2030.
“I want to see places where my money can be spent,” Pazmino said. “I have money in my pocket. I want to put it into our community. I would love to see coffee shops and restaurants and local businesses.”
Residents around the neighborhood said something similar, with one person noting a nearby 7-Eleven even closed down. They don’t want to see more of the same chains or fast food restaurants that already exist all over D.C. and the surrounding area.
But many are skeptical that small businesses will be able to afford to open up there.
“Say you’re a moms and pops,” a man named L. Randolph said. “Are you able to afford to be able to run a business in this neighborhood? Because we all know the … lease prices are going to be super expensive.”
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Neighbors are also asking for something that visitors and game day fans definitely won’t like — strict parking enforcement.
“If you look, there’s only a couple cars in the streets in those designs, and that’s a, that’s kind of a dream that isn’t going to come true,” Pazmino said. “The stadium is definitely a throwback to the previous designs, but we hope that it’s not going to also be a throwback to the terrible parking and congestion that was here.”
Even though there isn’t that much around, Rodney Ford said there are already problems with parking in the neighborhood.
“I think that may be one of the biggest concerns by all of us in the neighborhood,” Randolph said. “Where are these people going to be able to park and are they going to give them enough parking options so that they don’t spill over into the neighborhood?”
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Dozens of Iowa National Guard soldiers leaving Iowa today will spend the next six months serving in Washington, D.C..
Last August, President Trump issued an executive order declaring there was an epidemic of crime in the nation’s capitol and he immediately mobilized National Guard troops from the District of Columbia. The Pentagon then started asking state guard units to deploy to D.C. and made a request of Governor Kim Reynolds last year. “They asked earlier and I said no because we had one of the largest deployments that we’ve had for a long, long time and I just felt we were stretched pretty thin,” Reynolds said.
In May of last year, nearly 2000 Iowa National Guard soldiers were deployed to the Middle East. The final group of those soldiers returned to Iowa last month. Reynolds said the Pentagon “circled back” recently and asked her to send a group of Iowa Guard soldiers to D.C. and she’s deployed 120 Iowa Guard soldiers to D.C. “to ensure the safety and security” of people who are in the nation’s capitol, “especially with everything that’s going on with the 250th birthday of our country,” Reynolds said, “and so we were able to participate and do our share.”
Reynolds told reporters the federal government will pay the entire cost of the deployment. Reynolds will speak this morning at a private send off ceremony for the Iowa Guard soldiers before they leave for D.C. There were over 5000 National Guard troops in Washington this past Sunday, including 185 from Nebraska and over 100 from Minnesota.
DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — One hundred and twenty members of the Iowa National Guard are leaving Friday for Washington, D.C., where they will assist with security measures and America 250 celebrations at the request of the Trump administration.
Reynolds initially said no
Gov. Kim Reynolds said she had previously declined the Trump administration’s request, citing the strain of one of the state’s largest recent deployments.
“They asked earlier, and I said no because we had one of the largest deployments that we’ve had for a long, long time and I just felt that we were stretched pretty thin,” Reynolds said.
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Nearly 2,000 Iowa National Guard members had spent a year or more deployed to the Middle East. Those soldiers have since returned home.
Guard members now available following Middle East return
With those troops back, Reynolds said Iowa was in a position to fulfill the president’s request.
“We have them all back. They circled back, especially with everything that’s going on with the 250th uh birthday uh of our country. And so we were able to participate and do our share,” Reynolds said.
Different states have sent National Guard members to Washington, D.C., since last August.
Reynolds said the federal government will pay the costs of Iowa’s deployment to Washington, D.C.
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WASHINGTON – Metro riders are seeing changes Thursday morning as WMATA adjusts its shuttle bus system following concerns about long lines and confusion tied to the Red Line summer shutdown.
Express shuttles to North Bethesda will now only pick up on Wisconsin Avenue near the Trader Joe’s. Local shuttles serving Bethesda, Medical Center and Grosvenor have been moved to the Friendship Heights Metro station, while some regular Metrobus routes are picking up on Western Avenue.
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Red Line Shuttle Service Updates
• Local shuttle boarding will be relocated to Bus Bay K – the current C83/D96 bus stop on Wisconsin Ave. • C83 and D96 buses will be relocated to the bus shelter on Western Ave near Wisconsin Ave. • Express shuttle boarding will remain in the 5300 block of Wisconsin Ave NW.
What we know:
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FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick says Red Line riders say the shutdown has added time to their commute, though many are trying to stay positive. The shuttles connect North Bethesda and Friendship Heights through September 6, when Purple Line construction is expected to wrap up.
Metro Red Line summer shutdown leads to long shuttle lines
Metro Red Line Summer Shutdown: Changes to shuttle bus service after concerns
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The workaround relies on dedicated shuttle bus lanes along northbound and southbound Wisconsin Avenue/355 and up to Rockville Pike. But truck drivers, delivery drivers and passenger vehicles have been stopping or parking in those lanes, forcing shuttles to go around and slowing traffic.
Metro and Montgomery County police have increased enforcement to keep the lanes clear. Metro Transit Police say they asked more than 60 drivers to move out of the bus lanes in the first days of the shutdown.
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Metro is also adding about 100 parking spaces at Friendship Heights in the former Lord & Taylor garage. Some Montgomery County riders are opting for the MARC train downtown instead.
Metro’s Red Line shutdown is now in full effect: Here’s what you need to know
Metro Red Line Summer Shutdown: Changes to shuttle bus service after concerns
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The Source: Information in this article comes from WMATA and previous FOX 5 reporting.
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