Barry Feels 'Betrayal' In Stadium Negotiations

Activists Want Fenty to Resume Site Talks

D.C. Council member Marion Barry and a group of Ward 8 activists demanded yesterday that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty resume negotiations with D.C. United on a plan to build a soccer stadium in Southeast Washington, saying the mayor had "disrespected residents" with his decision to seek other options for the site.

Talks between Fenty administration officials and United representatives, led by primary investor Victor B. MacFarlane, broke down July 20, and the mayor ordered his deputies to conduct a competitive bidding process to seek proposals from other developers.

United officials threatened to move the team to the suburbs -- perhaps Loudoun County or areas near Baltimore -- if the District fails to support a stadium, said government sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations are private.

Barry (D-Ward 8) joined the coalition of about two dozen community leaders at a news conference at Poplar Point, a swath of federal parkland along the Anacostia River where the proposed 27,000-seat soccer stadium would be built.

Barry, who has supported the stadium plan, said he met with Fenty (D) on July 18 and the mayor told him: "Let's get it done."

"There was no indication they'd go in a different direction," Barry said. "Once again, Mayor Fenty has disrespected residents east of the river. I feel a sense of betrayal."

Administration officials view Poplar Point as a unique development opportunity: 110 acres of waterfront property in the city's poorest ward. The property is scheduled to be transferred to the District as early as fall.

United, which has averaged about 17,000 fans per game, plays in 46-year-old RFK Stadium. Team officials had hoped to build a stadium on the site by 2009 or 2010, along with a mix of housing, retail and office space, as well as a 70-acre public park mandated by the federal government as part of the land transfer.

But the stadium, which would cost $150 million, has long been viewed as the anchor of the project, a magnet to draw new investors and visitors to the area.

The same government sources said Fenty was uncomfortable with United's proposal, which included 5,000 housing units, 750,000 square feet of retail space and 650,000 square feet of office space. Although the team has offered to pay for the stadium, it has asked the city to contribute $200 million in subsidies, including roads, tax incentives and development rights, the sources said.

In opening a competitive bidding process, Fenty has not ruled out a soccer stadium, but the emphasis will be on housing and retail, the sources said. Administration officials will consider proposals over the next two months and probably will choose a developer by the end of the year, sources said.

At yesterday's news conference, business leaders and members of the advisory neighborhood commissions from Ward 8 said United's proposal represented the best chance for long-awaited development to come to the ward. They praised United's efforts in the community; the team has pledged money to support neighborhood projects and has organized several community events.

And the group argued that because the District is investing $611 million in public money in the new baseball stadium, city leaders should be willing to invest hundreds of millions in a project east of the Anacostia River.

ANC leader Mary Cuthbert said United's plan was "the perfect composition for a project east of the river. We're disappointed Fenty did a switcheroo."

Administration officials pointed out that as a council member, Fenty voted against public funding for the baseball stadium. And not everyone in Ward 8 supports a soccer stadium. A group called One D.C., which advocates affordable housing, is holding a rally tomorrow to oppose United's plan. Members say that the proposal does not include enough affordable housing and will offer mostly low-paying jobs.

"I do know development is imminent," said David Brown, a One D.C. member and Ward 8 resident. "But if there is going to be development, I can't see how the MacFarlane plan is going to have a positive impact on the community or homeowners."

When two members of One D.C. showed up at yesterday's news conference, several ANC leaders confronted them and demanded that they leave, sparking a shouting match in a parking lot.

"You all try to stop everything!" yelled Sandra Seegers, an ANC leader who supports the stadium. "Get out of here! You don't know anything about what we're trying to do. You don't come to any of our meetings."

Yvette Washington, wearing a One D.C. T-shirt, countered: "Why not put up posters so people know what's going on? You can't make us leave. This is public property!"