Neighbors in the Kingman Park neighborhood held a lawn party Sunday to voice concerns about the District’s draft master plan for the 180-acre area surrounding the former RFK stadium site, a redevelopment project that city planners say could include housing, retail and riverfront access.
Residents press for everyday amenities, not only destination uses
The event, hosted by the Friends of Kingman Park Civic Association, drew residents who said the current draft favors visitors and event attendees rather than the people who live in the neighborhood year-round. The association staged its second lawn party this year to collect feedback and raise awareness among District officials about what neighbors say is missing from the plan.
City planning documents released in June outline a master plan that could include up to 6,500 housing units, commercial development, parks and recreational spaces, and a riverfront district designed to increase public access to the Anacostia River and nearby islands. The proposal also leaves room for plazas and recreational fields.
At the lawn party, residents homed in on three recurring issues: transit access, grocery options and preservation of existing green space. Those concerns reflect long-standing neighborhood priorities in Kingman Park and surrounding communities that rely on nearby open areas for recreation and community events.
Transit and grocery access top local list of worries
One of the most debated elements in early planning was the idea of a new Metro station serving the redeveloped campus. A study released by Metro concluded building a new station in the Kingman Park area would be cost-prohibitive, a finding that frustrated neighborhood leaders who had hoped improved transit might accompany dense new housing and retail.
Residents also pointed to limited grocery access in the area and urged planners to include full-service grocery options in the development. Advocates at the lawn party described parts of the neighborhood as a food desert and said residents need daily services, not just attractions that cater to event crowds.
“The sort of broad promises in the master plan sound great from a bird’s-eye view, but then when you dig into the details, there’s not really much for the community 365 days a year,”
The line — delivered by Alexis Pazmiño, president of the Friends of Kingman Park Civic Association — encapsulated the skepticism felt by many who attended the gathering.
Parkland and a new road draw the most immediate ire
Perhaps the most immediate concern centered on a proposed road that would be paved through the green space along Oklahoma Avenue, adjacent to the campus site. Neighbors said they use that lawn regularly for walking, sports, and community gatherings, and they fear the road will reduce usable public green space and fragment the area.
“Let’s not create a Joni Mitchell song here, not pave our little slice of paradise,” Pazmiño said at the event, urging planners to preserve the current open area rather than trade it for infrastructure primarily serving parking or event access.
- Residents seek inclusion of a new Metro station in future plans or clear mitigation for transit needs.
- Community leaders want commitments to grocery and daily retail to address food access concerns.
- Neighbors oppose paving the central lawn and call for preservation of continuous green space for year-round use.
| Draft plan element | Detail from June release |
|---|---|
| Site area | 180 acres |
| Potential housing | Up to 6,500 units |
| Open space | Parks, plazas, riverfront access |
City planners have characterized the master plan as a framework intended to guide future zoning and development, not a final blueprint. Still, residents said they want more detail and stronger protections for neighborhood priorities before large-scale development proceeds.
Friends of Kingman Park organizers said the lawn party was designed to be constructive; speakers repeatedly stated they are not opposing development outright but want a process that centers daily community needs. The group plans to continue collecting resident input and pursue conversations with the D.C. Office of Planning and other agencies involved in the project.
As the planning process advances, questions about transportation, affordable and accessible groceries, and preservation of open space are likely to shape public comment and negotiations with developers. For now, neighborhood leaders say the message is clear: any redevelopment of the former RFK campus should serve the people who live in Kingman Park every day, not only those who visit for stadium events.
