After months of negotiation, the D.C. City Council finally passed a stadium financing bill late Tuesday night by a vote of 7-6. Unfortunately, thanks to an amendment from D.C. City Council Chairman Linda Cropp, the stadium has to come with 50 percent of its financing from private investors, a proviso that may just give Major League Baseball room to walk away from the deal:
Cropp's amendment gives Williams (D) until June to find a private financing plan worth at least half the cost of the stadium that would be certified by Natwar M. Gandhi, the city's chief financial officer. If such a plan is not certified and then approved by the council, the stadium bill would die."My basic belief is that there are too many public dollars going into this," Cropp said. "This will make the mayor seek private dollars more than anything else. I don't know how Major League Baseball will react."
Cropp told her council colleagues that if they did not approve her amendment, she would vote against the stadium agreement. Her vote was considered crucial. The council then approved her amendment by a vote of 10 to 3.
The mayor, huddled with advisers in the council chambers, declined to comment until after the council's final vote. City Administrator Robert C. Bobb said Cropp's move came as a total shock. "I think it is real bad," he said. "The question is whether it violates the stadium agreement. . . . I think we have given them an opportunity to walk."
Cropp, as I mentioned a few weeks back, is a political enemy of District Mayor Anthony Williams, and an old political ally of former Mayor and soon-to-be City Councilman Marion Barry.
So what's next? That's up to Major League Baseball, who thought they had a deal with the District. One would think that they don't have much choice but to play next season at RFK in the District, but after that, who knows?
Also, nota bene, any private financing plan has to be approved yet again by the City Council -- one that after January 1, 2005, will be occupied by an anti-stadium majority that was elected in November, It will be led by the aforementioned Barry and other enemies of the current mayor -- a man whose political career took a serious torpedo below the waterline last night.
Meanwhile, back across the Potomac in Virginia, the Virginia Baseball Stadium Authority is still in business, kept on life support just in case the D.C. City Council screwed up. As it says on their Web site:
Major League Baseball has stated that the Expos' relocation to Washington is subject to certain contingencies.
Dul-les! Dul-les! Dul-les!
Virginia Nationals?
Eric McErlain at Off Wing Opinion has the story on stadium financing bill passed last night in DC. The bill calls for 50% private financing. MLB will not like that and can walk away from the District. While I know…
Categorically Uncategorical
Some loose thoughts I haven’t been able to find a place for in other posts… …If you’ve never watched footage of the British House of Commons on CSPAN, particularly when Prime Minister Tony Blair takes questions from House members.
I know you may be dissappointed that you won’t have an MLB team, but I see nothing wrong with the city trying to get more private financing for the stadium. These projects tend to have more tax dollar spent than value added.When public money is used for stadiums, the teams go for all the extras (Seattle). When it’s private, teams spend their stadium money more wisely (San Francisco).
BASEBALL: Pray They Don
Just a short note to say great work on the terrific reporting, Eric… You’ve been on this latest news from the git-go…
On the story itself, I’m just too sick to my stomach to say a whole lot. The entire damn thing has been a microcosm of all that sucks and stinks about DC. My opinion of Cropp, Barry, Plotkin, the whole rotten bunch is now becoming just a cold, blunt loathing.
Why does the phrase, “If you lie down with dogs you will get up with fleas” come to mind???
MLB played DC against VA against Vegas against Portland against San Juan against Mexico. This is a huge embarassment for MLB. They need to find a credible, stable location — and it sure isn’t DC. If the council can force a change in the agreement now, what will they do during construction and beyond?? I wouldn’t want them as a partner and I can’t imagine anyone who shells out the huge $$ to buy the Expos (sorry, some things die hard) will want them as partners either.
Baseball and the separation of powers
Both The Mad Hibernian, Off Wing Opinion and James Joyner react to reports that the D.C. Council has approved a financing plan for the relocation of the Montréal Expos to Washington that doesn’t comport with MLB’s wishes. The Hibernian writes:…
Virginia Nationals?
Eric McErlain at Off Wing Opinion has the story on stadium financing bill passed last night in DC. The bill calls for 50% private financing. MLB will not like that and can walk away from the District. While I know…
BASEBALL: Pray They Don