D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser made her first public remarks on the expected deal worth more than $3 billion to bring the Commanders back to the District. Last week, News4 was first to report the team and city are approaching a deal to build a new stadium at the RFK Stadium site. It would have the team put up as much as $2.5 billion and the District as much as $850 million. At a press event Monday to celebrate a mixed-use development at the Deanwood Metro station in Ward 7, reporters asked Bowser for details. While she was set on avoiding direct discussion of the stadium deal, she reiterated her support for investing in stadiums as she prepares to cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the city’s budget. “I think that D.C. residents, especially D.C. residents right here in Ward 7, are very excited about world-class sports. They were excited about the Washington Nationals, the Washington Wizards, the Washington Capitals, the Washington Mystics, DC United. They know we’re the sports capital and they know what that means for our economy,” she said. “But more than that, I look forward in a couple of days [to] presenting our ideas about how we address a shifting economy. “And our economy is shifting because of federal government decisions about people, headquarters and the like,” Bowser continued. “And so Deputy Mayor Albert and I, and our entire team, is very focused on how we prepare D.C. for a different economy. And a big, big bright spot in our economy is entertainment and sports. So, we're gonna be presenting to the council a very robust plan about how we change our economy to get ready for the future.” Bowser was asked specifically about the Homes Not Stadiums effort by some residents. They’re seeking a ballot initiative to block stadium plans. “We are looking forward to discussing with the community affordable housing. I can't speak on any fervor. I don't see fervor. The fervor I see is for bringing our team home,” she said. Organizers of the Homes Not Stadiums movement would need about 23,000 signatures form D.C. voters to get the measure on the June ballot. Several ballot initiatives have been successful in shaping D.C. law in recent years, including on minimum wage for tipped workers, decriminalizing cannabis and, most recently, ranked choice voting. Sign up for our free deep-dive newsletter, The 4Front, to get standout News4 stories sent right to your inbox. Subscribe here.