The D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission expects to receive three to five offers from corporations for naming rights to the field at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium for Washington Nationals games, officials said yesterday.
Claude Bailey, the commission's legal counsel, said no offers were submitted in writing by yesterday's deadline. But several firms have said they would make offers by today or tomorrow, he said.
The D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission hopes a sponsor will pay up to $2 million for each of the three years the Nationals will play at RFK.
(Nikki Kahn -- The Washington Post)
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"We've gotten phone calls from a lot of people saying they are trying to get something to us in writing," Bailey said. The commission placed an advertisement for the naming rights in local newspapers last week that said yesterday was the deadline. But Bailey said he would keep the bidding open.
The commission hopes to find a sponsor willing to pay up to $2 million per season for the three years the Nationals will play at RFK. The stadium would retain the Kennedy name but add the corporation's name to the field, similar to the Denver Broncos' Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium.
Bailey declined to disclose which firms have contacted him. However, he acknowledged that a major bank had expressed interest but withdrew its offer because the Nationals have a different bank sponsor lined up for exclusive advertising in the stadium.
The money for the field's naming rights will go to youth programs, including upgrading playing fields and renovating community centers, officials said.
Meanwhile, city officials yesterday finished details on a parking plan for RFK that Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) will announce tomorrow. Officials said the plan would have far more aggressive parking enforcement in the neighborhoods around the stadium. People who park illegally during games will be ticketed and towed, officials said.
"We're definitely urging people to take the Metro," sports commission spokesman Tony Robinson said.
Also this week, the commission is expected to select a lead architect for the proposed new baseball stadium along the Anacostia waterfront. Allen Y. Lew, chief executive of the commission, is planning to make a recommendation to a committee of the Board of Directors today. The board will vote publicly Thursday.
Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum Sport of Kansas City, Mo., is generally considered the favorite among the three finalists because of the company's extensive experience in building major league ballparks, including 10 of the most recent 14. The other two finalists are Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of New York and Harwood K. Smith of Dallas.
