Two pieces in Friday's Post of interest to Near Southeast fans: "
Nationals Park Revenue Falls Short of the Mark," detailing how tax revenue for the first year at the
ballpark is expected to be about $2.6 million short of the $13.5 million originally projected, and a sidebar piece, "
Though Developers Built It, The Tenants Did Not Come," about the empty buildings in the neighborhood, using Lerner's
20 M Street as a jumping off point: "In many ways, the Lerner building -- owned by the Bethesda real estate family that also owns the Nationals baseball team -- is symbolic of the emerging district around the ballpark. Sleek new buildings with offices, condos, apartments and retail space have popped up all over. But many remain empty, seeking tenants in a sluggish economy."
The first piece, on the taxes, also talks about the ongoing dispute over whether the stadium was "substanially complete" by Opening Day, and that the Nationals are still withholding their $3.5 million rent payment. On the other hand, the article says that the city has enough money to cover the debt service on the stadium financing because the special ballpark tax on city businesses is bringing in more revenue than expected.