The District of Columbia paid more than $2 million for security and maintenance at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium last fiscal year, a dollar amount that will likely be taken into account as the city and Events D.C. decide what’s next for the aging edifice.
Those costs for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30 included $1.24 million in security guard services paid to Allied Barton and $820,718 in maintenance costs — payments to HVAC companies, electricians, plumbers, construction companies, groundskeepers, temporary staffing firms and others, according to Department of General Services’ records provided to the WBJ through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The maintenance costs for fiscal 2017 were down significantly from the prior year, when DGS spent $1.46 million on maintenance alone at RFK, the largest item being a $479,000 bill for HVAC services provided by RSC Electrical & Mechanical Co.
While DGS maintains RFK Stadium, Events D.C., the District’s sports and conventions authority, manages the facility and books events there. Events D.C. CEO Greg O’Dell told me last month that the maintenance costs for the stadium would remain largely the same going forward even without D.C. United actively using the stadium, though the total costs could go down given that utility payments would likely be lower.