WTOP reports that Judge Zeldon "has granted the D.C. government possession of land for the new baseball stadium, clearing the way for construction to begin." The ruling says that the landowners must vacate the properties no later than March 27. As I understand it (it's not clear from this article, but I believe all will be revealed by late this evening), this ruling covers only 5 of the 16 properties seized by eminent domain. UPDATE: Here is the Post story, "5 Landowners Ordered to Quit Stadium Site." Alas, no graphic to go with the Post story, so you'll just have to deal with my incredibly low-tech map showing which parcels are referenced in today's order. The story also says the stadium's design will be unveiled by Mayor Bow Tie on Tuesday. UPDATE II: Here's the Washington Blade piece on the evictions, written from the standpoint that the O Street clubs were not part of this eviction order.

There's more links and information available now about the possible designs unveiled on Wednesday for the new South Capitol Street Bridge.You can see fun 3D videos of the different designs at the South Capitol Street Bridge Study site. (Do you think we can infer from the number of different videos available for each option that the "Cable Stayed Swing Bridge" might be the designers' favorite?) There is also a press release from DDOT, saying that there will be a community meeting in April to solicit comments on the design, and also to give an update on the project. The draft Environmental Impact Statement will be released in June. And, a bit more detail on the interim work that will be done on the existing bridge: "Starting this summer, the bridge will be rehabilitated to ensure its continued safety and use. The work includes new lighting, better sidewalks and a new coat of paint. In addition two blocks of the elevated viaduct will be removed and replaced with an at-grade roadway, greatly improving the appearance and pedestrian access along South Capitol Street." Wow, wonder how that's gonna work?

With the stadium now a certainty, the Washington Blade piece "Eviction Imminent for O Street Gay Clubs" discusses councilmember Graham's plan to petition the zoning commission for a one-time waver of zoning rules to allow gay entertainment clubs displaced by a new baseball stadium to move to new locations. More tidbits: Club Washington's closing (mentioned in this entry) was because the building's owner reached an agreement to sell the property to the city rather than continuing to fight the eminent domain seizure. Also, apparently Judge Zeldon said at the hearing on evictions two weeks ago that she would give businesses 10 days to vacate the properties at the time she issues the eviction order (the article says she is expected to do so in the next week or two). And this somewhat surprising comment toward the end, referring to club owner Robert Siegel, who has been offered $7 million for his properties but is going to court to fight for a higher amount: "Some critics say that Siegels push for more money and his claim of the citys reported failure to seriously help him relocate his businesses may be insincere." Meow!