Editor’s Note: This report has been updated to reflect the changes made to RFK Stadium demolition team.
A day after two fires were found inside RFK Stadium, D.C.’s convention and sports authority gave an update on the venue’s eventual demolition.
In a statement regarding Tuesday’s fires, Events DC said the process of removing hazardous materials has begun and “will take several months.”
“Demolition of major structural components will be completed by the end of 2023,” the statement said.
Please see a statement from Events DC regarding RFK Stadium pic.twitter.com/ZINbdWqxrR
— Events DC (@TheEventsDC) July 6, 2022
The stadium has been without a full-time tenant since 2018. D.C.-based Smoot Construction leads the demolition efforts, and the project expects to cost about $20 million.
“We plan to honor the incredible history and legacy of the stadium as we prepare for its eventual demolition,” Events DC said in a separate tweet.
Meanwhile, the authority thanked DC Fire and EMS crews for responding to “two small, localized fires” in the basement levels of the stadium Tuesday afternoon.
Crews spent 30 minutes putting the fires, and it was under control in an hour. Nobody was found at the site during the fire and nobody was hurt. Fire Chief John Donnelly Sr. said it was too early to determine what caused the fires.
In a photo posted on Twitter Tuesday, Events DC Interim President and CEO Samuel Thomas is surveying the stadium after the fire. The authority stated that the structure suffered “no significant damage.”
Events DC said it will remain in communication with fire investigators during their investigation and work with its security team to ensure the site “remains secure.”
