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Who's at Fault in the Stadium Standoff
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According to Bob DuPuy, Major League Baseball is an innocent party that has been hurt by the District's control of the stadium project and by the city's broader plans to bring economic development to the surrounding area. He said baseball has nothing to do with such development matters and, under the original agreement, would make no money from them.
What Mr. DuPuy did not mention is that, since the original agreement, the D.C. Council has been presented with two new agreements -- one of which is the lease deal -- that would give the Nationals new development rights in the area and at the stadium site, meaning less money for the District. This would make it more difficult for the District to cover cost overruns and other government obligations.
For example, the new agreements would require the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission to notify the team of its off-site economic development activities and give the team the right to participate. A new provision also would require accommodation of the team's plan to develop retail space on First Street SE by conforming the stadium specifications to that plan.
When the Nationals are not playing at the stadium, the commission would be allowed to hold events there for up to 18 days a year, but restrictions not in the original agreement would limit revenue for the District by prohibiting advertising by certain major industries. The commission's right to receive all parking revenue from its events also would be cut by a third.
The D.C. Council is entrusted with spending taxpayer money carefully. If Major League Baseball seeks changes from the original stadium agreement, publicly biting the hand that feeds it may not be the best way to go about it.
ALYSSA TALANKER
Attorney
D.C. Council
