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The Mayor's Newsletter has just been released, with the first page being about the stadium. It gives bullet points about the lease agreement, which I think are worth emphasizing.
The new provisions include:
· A cap on the total construction costs of the ballpark will be put into place and approved by the Council.
· Residents will not be taxed to pay for the ballpark.
· The District may use property on the ballpark site for private development.
· MLB agrees to help create a new youth baseball academy with a $3.5 million contribution.
· MLB agrees to increase the number of free tickets given to DC youth from 8,000 to 10,000 per year.
· MLB agrees to hold a meeting in the District of all team owners before the summer of 2008.
· Players will make a minimum of 50 youth, educational or charitable appearances a year in the District.

More posts: Nationals Park
 

New from the Post: "Developers have offered to pay the District $70 million for the rights to build on land adjacent to a new baseball stadium, money that city leaders said will help cover potential cost overruns on the project. ... [D]evelopers have pledged to pay for the rights to develop on land within the 20 acres needed for the stadium project that is not taken up by the ballpark structure. Of the $70 million, $55 million will go to the waterfront corporation and $15 million will go to MLB. [...] With the money, the corporation will pay for upgrades to nearby roads and an underground parking garage. The corporation also pledged to pay for cost overruns related to the city's acquisition of 14 acres for the ballpark and potential environmental remediation, as well as to help with other potential overruns related to construction." Also, the council is supposed to get today a construction contract "between the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission and the three construction companies set to build the stadium, was to include a special "guaranteed maximum price" contract that would cap ballpark construction costs at $320 million -- including a $20 million payment from MLB." This would appear to be a big step toward alleviating some of the council's disagreements with the lease, but we will see how it shakes out. UPDATE, 4:22 pm: The Post has updated its story to say that the construction contract has been sent to the council as well: "The contract transfers the control of the project from the city to the construction companies, but also transfers the risk. The companies agreed to a guaranteed price of $320 million for the materials and labor. The price includes a $20 million payment from Major League Baseball, which the league promised in December. If the companies fail to complete the stadium by March 1, 2008, their fees will be reduced by $100,000 per day, up to a maximum penalty of $5 million, according to the documents submitted to the council. The documents also include a cap of $68 million for so-call "soft construction costs," including fees to architects and consultants."

More posts: parking, Nationals Park
 

The Post's District Extra's cover story today is "Landowners in Stadium's Path Fight to Stay Put", the stories of three of the people who are being forced off their properties as the stadium moves forward (or does it?). Accompanying the story is a timeline of the eminent domain seizures.
More posts: Nationals Park
 

Let's move to the Thursday stories on the stadium battle. In the Post, we have "Private Stadium Funding Canceled, Deutsche Bank Deal Collapses": "A District government plan to use $246 million in private financing from Deutsche Bank to help build a new baseball stadium has collapsed, a political blow to the D.C. Council, which spent months pushing to reduce public investment in the project. D.C. Chief Financial Officer Natwar M. Gandhi said the deal has been called off in part because the bank was seeking a $5 million fee to structure the financing arrangement. But another complication emerged yesterday when bank spokesman Ted Meyer said the bank had a signed contract with the District and remains entitled to the payment if the city uses the bank's strategy." (What? A snafu surrounding the stadium? How un-US-u-al!) The article is chock full of council members backpedaling like mad from the Deutsche Bank private financing plan, which of course was not part of Mayor Williams's original financing plan, it was added after the council insisted on private financing options being investigated. UPDATE: The WashTimes's story is "Mayor: Lease vote will go off Tuesday", saying that the council should have by Friday the information they need on the plans to have the construction companies and the AWC be responsible for construction/land acquisition cost overruns (although the contracts themselves may not be done by then). Some council members are expressing skepticism. If the council vote fails, the city will have to go to arbitration with Major League Baseball. Fasten your seat belts. it's going to be a bumpy ride.
More posts: Nationals Park
 

Today's lease stories: from The Post, "Stadium Pact To Be Revised For Financing," and from the WashTimes, "Council fails to reach deal on stadium lease." No one is leaping up and down with joy about the new agreement, and while Mayor Bow Tie says he'll get the documentation about the construction agreement to the council by Friday, council members appear to be suspicious of any promises that aren't backed up with legally binding documents, so a Feb. 7 vote is looking kind of iffy. UPDATE: And here is the AP story on the mayor's comments during his weekly briefing today. Guess what? He's optimistic! UPDATE, 9:50 pm: NBC 4 says that Mayor Tony is getting tired of it all, and saying that it's time to put up or shut up, and vote on the agreeement: "I think it's now time to have a vote. I do not have any intention whatsoever this time of withdrawing the legislation. I think we just need to have a vote. And if you want baseball, this is what we have."
More posts: Nationals Park
 

The February issue of the Hill Rag has a large feature story ("Trading a Queer Home for Home Plate") about the gay-oriented clubs and businesses along O Street in the footprint of the new baseball stadium. It traces the history of the neighborhood, the people who have congregated there, and what the future may be for the clubs as they try to find new homes.
More posts: Nationals Park
 

If you just can't get enough of the wrangling over the stadium lease and construction agreements, David Catania has posted the proposed lease agreement, summaries of the agreement itself as well as of recent amendments, the proposed construction administration agreement, the non-relocation agreement, and the mediation team's letter to Linda Cropp. (Hat tip to Capitol Punishment.)
More posts: Nationals Park
 

From the AP: "Members of the D-C Council will learn more about the latest proposed lease agreement with Major League Baseball this afternoon. The 13 council members have been invited to a closed door briefing where those who helped negotiate the deal will answer questions. [...] Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi is also expected to attend. He has questions about changes that could affect the sale of bonds needed to finance the new stadium." The session is scheduled for 1:00-4:00 pm. Speaking of Mr. Gandhi, this morning's WashTimes has a piece on Gandhi's reservations on the proposed financing, and the WashPost editorial board tells the mayor and council to listen to what the CFO says.
More posts: Nationals Park
 

One thing that can be seen between the lines in the stories about the lease agreement is the apparent recognition by all sides that the new baseball stadium can't be ready by the 2008 season. At least the new lease agreement seems to do away with penalties on the city for not delivering the stadium by the original agreement date, and sets up a payment requirement for leasing RFK in 2008. (Hat tip for this tea-leaf reading to the Nats fans at BallparkGuys.com and also the District of Baseball blog.) And has enough groundwork been laid for MLB to go ahead and name a new owner? Lots to watch over the next few weeks, if we can stand it.
More posts: Nationals Park
 

Starting a new clean entry... The Post's print version of the lease agreement story is now available, "Baseball Consents To Revised Lease Deal", which gives both the good news and the bad news in the lede: "District leaders reached an agreement on a revised stadium lease with Major League Baseball yesterday that includes a commitment from baseball for a $3.5 million youth academy but fell short of fully answering the concerns of some key D.C. Council members." And, just to add to the peppyness: "Meanwhile, some changes to the lease drew strong objections from Natwar M. Gandhi, the city's chief financial officer. [...] Gandhi noted that the new document deleted a monetary reserve account that Wall Street bond raters had requested. Gandhi is seeking investment-grade bonds for the stadium project to get a lower interest rate for the city." And, while quoted as carping earlier in the story, two council members seem to grudgingly admit that there's been progress: "Brown and Gray acknowledged that the city has won some significant concessions. In addition to the academy, which would teach children about baseball and provide academic tutoring, the city would get 2,000 additional free tickets for disadvantaged youth." And finally, because nothing can ever be easy: "Williams promised to send more documentation about capping stadium costs in a separate document called the Construction Administration Agreement, Brown and Gray said. That agreement, which is expected to specify how the construction companies contracted by the city would build the stadium, will be voted on separately by the council, setting up the possibility of another tough political fight for the mayor." UPDATE: The WashTimes story is similar, with explanations of the agreements between the city and MLB.

More posts: Nationals Park
 

WTOP is reporting that the city and Major League Baseball have reached agreement on negotiations over the stadium lease agreement. It has been decided to not use the Deutsche Bank private financing agreement, and to instead go with traditional financing. MLB has also agreed to develop a youth baseball facility, to increase the number of free tickets given to disadvantaged children, and to lease RFK in 2008 if the stadium is not completed in time. There's also a comment about the city and the team splitting profits on land sold for development, which sounds kind of odd, will wait to hear an explanation of that.
UPDATE, 1:15 pm: WTOP's article has been updated and expanded, and includes this explanation of the land sale item: "It does say parcels at the south end of the stadium site can be sold to developers. The proceeds would be split between the team and the District with the city receiving 57.5 percent of proceeds and the Nationals receiving 42.5 percent."
UPDATE, 8:11 pm: Here is the Post story, which says that the council is scheduled to vote on the agreement on Feb. 7, and that Mayor Williams " was expected to deliver a letter to the council with additional promises that would help protect the city against potential cost overruns, his aides said." Also, here is Mayor Bow Tie's press release.
UPDATE, 9:25 pm: Interesting explanation from a Reuters story: "According to a D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission memorandum obtained by Reuters, the changes to a private portion of the ballpark financing would free the city from funding a reserve account. It had previously agreed to fund a $60 million reserve to boost the ratings on $256 million of bonds to be sold privately to Deutsche Bank."
More posts: Nationals Park
 

Near Southeast makes the front page of the Post on Friday with "The Last Handshake Deal", a long feature on colorful real estate investor Marty Chernoff and other men who bought land in the area years back and are now cashing out. (As an example, Chernoff bought the trash transfer station at 70 I Street for $800,000 in 1988, and sold it last year for $35.9 million.) The print version also has a huge fabulous half-page graphic with a map of the neighborhood (centered mainly on the North of M area) with nine stunning and brilliant photos of streetscapes along 1st, K, L, and M streets. (Yes, they're my photos.) The Post's web site has an interactive version of the graphic, which is a nice companion to their interactive map of all of Near Southeast (which has been updated with six months' worth of new information). And if you're visiting here for the first time as a result of the Post story, welcome to Near Southeast, and try not to be too scared by all that this site contains.

 

From the AP: "Officials from the District and Major League Baseball worked late Thursday hammering out negotiations for a lease on a Nationals baseball stadium. [...] Williams has said he hopes to have something top present to the council Friday. That's the deadline to schedule a vote on Feb. 7. But Williams spokesman Vince Morris says even if there's no deal by then, officials could try for a deal by next Friday and a Feb. 14 vote."
More posts: Nationals Park
 

For those wondering if the Capper/Carrollsburg ("Capitol Quarter") townhome development would ever get moving.... Today 143 building permit applications were filed with the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs for addresses in the eastern half of the Capper land. The applications cover lots for all the areas between 4th and 5th streets where the old Capper buildings have already been demolished, plus the triangular sliver of land along Virginia Avenue. As for when shovels will go in the ground, who knows. And sales aren't expected to begin until summer. I just read somewhere that 100 of these will be market-rate, and 40 will be "workforce housing", but for the life of me I can't find the link. Will keep searching. UPDATE: Duh, it's on the Capitol Quarter page itself. I've got to get new glasses.
More posts: Capper, Capitol Quarter
 

From a news release this morning: "The South Capitol Ballpark Coalition -- an ad-hoc coalition of area businesses, community organizations and the Washington Nationals Baseball Club -- began a campaign today to educate District residents on the benefits of a new South Capitol Street baseball stadium and surrounding development projects in anticipation of the upcoming DC City Council vote. The campaign, which includes radio ads and mailings, will urge residents to contact the City Council and ask them to vote "yes" on the new stadium deal." The South Capitol Ballpark Coalition includes: Washington Nationals Baseball Club; District of Columbia Building Industry Association; Monument Realty, Western Development Corporation; DC Convention and Tourism Corporation and The Board of Trade; Forest City Enterprises; the Restaurant Association of Greater Washington.
More posts: Nationals Park
 

The AP is reporting: "D-C Mayor Anthony Williams says one way or another on Friday his staff will submit a reworked baseball stadium plan to the D-C Council. He says "in order to have it done, in the time we need it done, we need to have it in by Friday." He says "then we're going to continue to work on the votes." Williams says he believes the various sides have addressed key points cited by some council members. He says he believes they've made progress on such issues as cost, benefit to the community and development rights. Williams says he can't wait to have the stadium matter settled "so we can get it built and produce all the benefits that I think it will." UPDATE, 3:37 pm: An expanded AP story says that the mayor is still working to get the seven votes needed for passage, but that mediation between the District and Major League Baseball has helped clear up key points cited by concerned City Council members, and that the new deal provides cost control on both the stadium and the land.
More posts: Nationals Park
 

The Post has posted on its web site "D.C. Could Force Out Property Owners For Stadium", which says: "The District government has asked a Superior Court judge for permission to force property owners to vacate about 14 acres of land near the Anacostia River by Feb. 7 so the city can begin construction of a new baseball stadium, arguing that any delays could set back the project. In a court filing last Friday, city attorneys said construction must begin soon to complete the stadium by March 2008, as required in the agreement with Major League Baseball." The article goes on to explain the eminent domain process, and that the city has done this even though Ye Olde Stadium Lease Agreement still hasn't been approved. UPDATE: The WashTimes's story says many of the same things; it also says: "Meanwhile, the Anacostia Waterfront Corp., which was created by the city to direct waterfront-development efforts, is working with developers on a plan to cap the cost of acquiring the 26 acres of land at the ballpark site. Under the plan, the city would direct any revenue from development on the ballpark site toward [land] cost overruns."
More posts: Nationals Park
 

For the first time I've seen a price attached to the townhomes at Capper / Carrollsburg (the development, by EYA, is dubbed "Capitol Quarter")--an ad in Saturday's Post says that the townhomes, coming in Summer 2006, will be priced from the low $400,000s. The web site still says nothing more than "Coming 2006." Hopefully with the final zoning approval of the second-stage PUD not far off, they will begin their marketing and provide much more information on the entire development. UPDATE: And just like that, EYA has launched a redesigned web site--it's much prettier, but it doesn't have any additional info on Capitol Quarter.
 

Remember a few months back when the biggest question mark about the new baseball stadium was what it was going to look like? (We were so much younger then.) Saturday's Post reveals: "District government officials are modifying the architectural design of a new baseball stadium, relying less heavily on glass as a key exterior feature, to reduce costs and win approval for a lease agreement from the D.C. Council. The changes are intended to save tens of millions of dollars and limit the potential for cost overruns, said sources with knowledge of the discussions." The article also explains that the city is working on a proposed "guaranteed maximum price" contract with the stadium's builders, Clark/Hunt/Smoot A Joint Venture, where "the city would relinquish control of the design and construction of the stadium to construction companies, which in turn would guarantee that the price of the labor and materials for the ballpark would not exceed $300 million." And the clock ticks on, as an agreement must legally be submitted to the council by Jan. 27 in order to get a vote on Feb. 7. So this next week should be fun.
More posts: Nationals Park
 

Meanwhile, Saturday's WashTimes goes with: "Council meets with mediator": "Members of the D.C. Council met yesterday with the mediator selected to help end a dispute over the lease for the Washington Nationals' new ballpark in Southeast, and council chairman Linda Cropp followed by providing Mayor Anthony Williams a revised proposal that she said will ensure a positive council vote." What does the letter say? "Cropp outlined 12 provisions requested by council members, who said they will not vote in favor of the stadium lease until the changes are made. The new proposal is similar to one presented last week, in that it calls for a cap on how much the city will contribute to the ballpark. The new letter clarifies that the city should pay no more than the $535 million being borrowed for the project, plus a $20 million contribution from Major League Baseball, $37 million raised from baseball activities in 2005 and $39 million in interest and bond premium. The new letter requests more community benefits, including a new baseball academy in the District, and more appearances by players. It also calls for assurances that the Nationals cannot terminate the lease simply by refusing to pay rent." The story also has some back-and-forth about whether the council should have been included in the lease negotiations from the beginning.
More posts: Nationals Park
 
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