D.C. Seeks to Buy Land for 'Ballpark District'

"We need to benefit from the economic spinoff of the stadium," she said. "We need to have things around the stadium so that those who attend games will shop and eat and leave their money, which will help with the economic needs of the city. . . . I also believe we need to do it during the same time period as the stadium -- not wait five years before doing this."

Within the next several weeks, the District will open negotiations with the owners of land on the 20-acre stadium site. That process could result in the city seizing the land through eminent domain if the owners refuse to sell.

The city's move to acquire additional land comes as private developers have been snapping up plots near the stadium site, driving up prices and changing the face of some neighborhoods. Monument Realty LLC, for example, recently bought more than two acres next to Metro's land and half an acre on the stadium site for a total of $30 million.

Russell Hines, Monument's executive vice president, said his company plans to build about 750,000 square feet of office space, retail stores and housing.

Herbert S. Miller, a developer who has talked to the city for months about creating a mixed-use "town center" near the stadium, said the city was wise to take a proactive role.

"They have an enormous expense in the stadium and have to turn it into an investment and get something out of it," Miller said. "They have to prove to citizens that this area can be a major pocket of investment. If I were the city, I'd be aggressive. They need to be to sure the stadium is successful."

The experiences of other cities show that new stadiums do not always spark major redevelopment in neglected areas and suggest that cities must carefully plan integrated development strategies.

In Seattle, business owners near Safeco Field have complained that patrons rarely come to the area on non-game days, in part because officials did not include housing units in the area.

Conversely, Coors Field in Denver has won raves for helping to turn around a desolate area that now booms with housing and entertainment. D.C. planners have often cited Denver as a model.

Altman said he would look for a developer who has done similar work.

"This is a very specialized development program and has to be done very carefully," he said.

Arthur Lawson, Metro's D.C. government relations officer, said the agency is "working with the city and our own folks looking at possibilities."