Asked if she would allow Major League Baseball officials to take the team to another city if they do not like her proposal, Cropp said yes. "I don't want baseball to leave, but I want to do what's best for the District," she said.
Cropp's plan would leave in place the financing structure of the stadium, with the money coming from a gross-receipts tax on the city's biggest businesses, a tax on concessions and an annual rent payment by the team. The team's rent, starting at $3.5 million a year and rising annually, would remain the same as it was under Williams's plan, but the gross-receipts tax would be reduced, Cropp said. Her plan would collect a total of $21 million in taxes a year, compared with about $26 million under the mayor's proposal.
A satellite photo shows RFK Stadium in the top right. The new proposal calls for a ballpark adjacent to the stadium site instead of near the Anacostia River.
(U.s. Geological Survey)
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For weeks, business leaders have debated the structure of the gross-receipts tax. Some said the fees were too high, particularly because the city would be responsible for any cost overruns at the stadium. If costs soared, business leaders feared, the gross-receipts tax would simply be raised to cover them. The reaction to Cropp's plan was mixed.
Brian Boyer, spokesman for the city's Chamber of Commerce, said that Cropp's proposal is a "step in the right direction. We hope that a less costly option is adopted so that business is not adversely affected by bringing a baseball team and stadium here."
But Len Foxwell, director of governmental affairs for the Greater Washington Board of Trade, said his organization believes the city should stick with the mayor's plan.
"We're quite concerned about the timing and context of Cropp's proposal," Foxwell said. "We have a carefully constructed deal on the table, and we're afraid this could undo it."
Cropp's announcement was particularly shocking to Williams because she, along with Evans, had been involved in the negotiations with Major League Baseball officials for months. Williams and Evans said they believed all along that Cropp was on board with the plan and would help sell it to other council members.
Evans, chairman of the council's Committee on Finance and Revenue, held a 16-hour public hearing on the mayor's plan and later amended it and sent it to the full council for Tuesday's vote. "I'm going to vote for my proposal," he said. "If my proposal gets overrun, then we'll see what happens."
Williams has said a stadium along the Anacostia would bring economic revitalization to a neighborhood that has been neglected. Building at RFK would not generate such development because it is isolated by a giant parking lot, he said. Baseball officials prefer the Anacostia waterfront site because it is more inviting to fans, he added.
"Council member Evans, the chairman [Cropp] and I made a commitment to baseball, and it was not a conditional commitment," Williams said. "If I make a commitment, I have to live up to it. Reneging on that would send a horrible message."
Council members Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) and David A. Catania (I-At Large) joined Cropp at her news conference. Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3) and Carol Schwartz (R-At Large) said in interviews that they are generally supportive.
Council members Evans, Orange, Harold Brazil (D-At Large) and Sharon Ambrose (D-Ward 6) have been firmly in favor of the Anacostia waterfront site. Kevin P. Chavous (D-Ward 7) and Sandy Allen (D-Ward 8) have offered support of the mayor's plan but also raised concerns.
Adrian M. Fenty (D-At Large) said he will not support any plan that uses public funds for a stadium. Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who opposed details in the mayor's plan, expressed concerns about Cropp's proposal yesterday.
Both sides predicted significant lobbying during the next few days. Williams acknowledged that competing for votes with Cropp would be "an uphill struggle." Cropp, who wields great influence, will also be doling out coveted committee chairmanships to her colleagues in January.
Meanwhile, civic activists have complained that public money should not be used for a stadium but rather spent on schools, libraries and recreation centers. In response, Williams proposed creating the community investment fund worth up to $450 million. Cropp said the investment package could be considered later as a separate bill.
Ed Lazere, co-leader of a group that opposes using public money for a stadium, said he was glad that Cropp was trying to bring down the price of the stadium but said that his group will keep pushing for a major reduction in public funds for the project.
"This is the start of a renegotiation of a bad deal," Lazere said.
Williams and others feared baseball officials will reopen their own negotiations -- with other cities and regions that competed for the Expos, including Northern Virginia.
"Major League Baseball made its choice with D.C. We hope they are able to perform on their deal," said Keith Frederick, chairman of the Virginia Baseball Stadium Authority. "But should they not, we plan to be in a position to save the franchise for the area."
Staff writers Thomas Heath, Michael Laris and Lori Montgomery contributed to this report.
