Instead of wasting it on a stadium+parking wasteland that sits empty 330 days a year, RFK could fit 10-15,000 new homes, which would make a massive dent in our city's housing crisis and fortify our budget too. My latest for @ggwash.org ggwash.org/view/99249/l... - ThreadSky

nsementelli.bsky.social • 61 days ago

Instead of wasting it on a stadium+parking wasteland that sits empty 330 days a year, RFK could fit 10-15,000 new homes, which would make a massive dent in our city's housing crisis and fortify our budget too.

My latest for @ggwash.org https://ggwash.org/view/99249/legalize-housing-not-a-stadium-handout

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alexblock.bsky.social•61 days ago

Seems silly to call the reported amount of parking “precedent defying.” There are lots of NFL stadiums built recently with even less.

nsementelli.bsky.social•61 days ago

Directly adjacent, yes, but not when you include the lots and garages in the immediate vicinity they advertise and rely on. I assume you're talking Minneapolis, Vegas, etc?

alexblock.bsky.social•61 days ago

I guess I’m saying the statement “10,000 spaces would defy precedent” seems quite false to me.

mattficke.bsky.social•61 days ago

10,000 spaces in the immediate vicinity of the stadium would be unprecedented. RFK is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, all the parking for it will need to be built on site. There aren’t any garages nearby.

alexblock.bsky.social•61 days ago

Unprecedented as in… there’s never been an NFL stadium with so little parking?

Because that’s the statement I don’t think is true.

nsementelli.bsky.social•61 days ago

Pretty sure it is, unless there's one I've missed? But the only way to move 60-80k people without 20-30k spots is transit, and none of the cities with the transit systems that could reasonably do that, (NY, Chicago, San Fran) have light parking.

alexblock.bsky.social•61 days ago

And yes, there are other examples beyond just Vegas and Minneapolis, too.

defrank.bsky.social•61 days ago

10K seems like the number they are running with as necessary. What are the stats in those places?

alexblock.bsky.social•61 days ago

There are a few small lots and garages for each; they rely more on use of existing adjacent parking

angelone.bsky.social•61 days ago

I’d also think about what happens if parts of Langston Golf course were also redeveloped for housing?

nsementelli.bsky.social•61 days ago

Historic landmark - off limits 🙃

jawcounty.bsky.social•60 days ago

Parking is the most profitable revenue stream for any stadium they are going to try to maximize it.

masontransport.bsky.social•61 days ago

This is all correct, and I wholeheartedly agree, but I worry that were making a logical argument (jobs, budget, etc) to a crowd making an emotional argument (DC pride, nostalgia, love of football, etc). The Post says 75% of DC residents support the stadium. What arguments will sway them?

lohplaces.bsky.social•61 days ago

I don’t think $1B would poll at 75%

nsementelli.bsky.social•61 days ago

When you poll with tradeoffs that number drops, before we even get to subsidy too.

masontransport.bsky.social•61 days ago

Powerful data!

masontransport.bsky.social•61 days ago

Exactly. The Post article seemed to miss this nuance.

nsementelli.bsky.social•61 days ago

This post isn't to convince the public, this is laying out the groundwork for people involved in actual tradeoffs. The message for the public is we're broke and can't afford to give $1 billion dollars to one of the world's richest men in the middle of a budget crisis.

nsementelli.bsky.social•61 days ago

Also probably traffic

masontransport.bsky.social•61 days ago

Yeah, that makes sense.

I wonder if a housing argument would help too. Housing is super expensive, and we need as much of it as possible, as soon as possible, and you can't live in an expensive new stadium.

masontransport.bsky.social•61 days ago

haha, you already make that argument

nsementelli.bsky.social•61 days ago

Haha yes, I think it's a bit of "something for everyone," and for the people already attuned to the housing crisis, making clear the tradeoff here is a part of it.

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