As Washington, D.C.'s local government looks to bring new life to the grounds bordering the site of the Washington Nationals' new baseball stadium, it may get a lift from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. On Nov. 17, bids to develop the land surrounding three WMATA Metro stops come due in an annual effort to free up the transit authority's cash for long-term projects and allow for new development. In addition to one Metro stop in Virginia and one in Maryland's Prince Georges County, the third station rests just blocks from the site of the new baseball stadium, servicing the district's Navy Yard. Two swaths of land are up for grabs, measuring 14,000 and 4,000 square feet, respectively.
Maybe a swift auction and concrete plans for development would light a fire under the D.C. City Council, which two weeks ago voted down a proposal to create above-ground parking garages for the new baseball stadium for fear of exceeding the $611 million spending cap. As a result, there is no plan in place for parking once the stadium opens in 2008. In a letter to the City Council last week, the district's chief financial officer said the city might have to pay hefty sums to the Nationals for failing to meet contractual obligations, and that the District might suffer shortfalls in potential stadium revenue.
The setback is the latest in what has been a multi-year saga to bring baseball, and accompanying development, to Washington. And clearly, it's still not over.—Carolyn Murphy
See Washington Post article on the WMATA initiative
See Washington Post article on the failed parking garage resolution
See related Dealwatch on the Washington Nationals auction
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