EventsDC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, recently released a Request For Expressions of Interest (“RFEI”) for the development of a 65,000 square foot Market Hall on the RFK site. EventsDC seeks a development partner for this initial phase of the comprehensive redevelopment of the RFK campus, located next to Kingman Park in the revitalizing Hill East neighborhood. Market Hall is expected to offer market, concession, and restaurant space for neighborhood residents and visitors from around the region.
Market Hall will be one component of the initial phase of redevelopment over the next 2 – 5 years, redevelopment which will also include:
- Three multi-purpose recreation and community playing fields, totaling about 5 acres, available to the public and useable in the evening;
- A 350,000 square-foot sports and recreation complex, housing a variety of sport programs for families, youths, and amateurs, to be developed, with a partner, as both a destination and a neighborhood amenity;
- Three pedestrian bridges connecting the main site to Kingman and Heritage Islands; and
- A memorial to Robert F. Kennedy, to be built as a replacement to the stadium.
Ultimately, the RFK site will feature between 900,000 and 1.8 million square feet of mixed-use development measuring between 40 – 70 feet in height.
The final mix of uses for the site has not yet been determined and any proposal must be approved by: the National Park Service; the National Capital Planning Commission; and the Army Corps of Engineers, with input from the Mayor and the District’s Office of Planning.
Interested development partners are encouraged to attend an informational meeting and campus tour scheduled for Friday, March 30th. Formal RFEI responses are due to EventsDC on Monday, April 30th.
Stephen is the Planning Services Director with the firm and is not an attorney.