December 03, 2005
MLB, D.C. dot one "i"
The Washington papers are reporting that MLB and the D.C. mayor's office have reached a tentative deal on a lease for the Nationals at their yet-to-be-constructed new stadium. Depending on your perspective, MLB either blinked, or called D.C.'s bluff, reportedly offering to sign a rent guarantee in case of a work stoppage, and to chip in $20 million towards construction costs in exchange for an undisclosed "concession" from the city.
The question now is: Does the D.C. council approve the deal? At Monday's oversight hearing, councilmembers were making noise about rejecting any lease that doesn't address the swelling land and infrastructure costs that could force D.C. to bust its $535 million budget, but we'll see if that goes as far as turning up their nose at this latest MLB carrot. The council is set to vote on Dec. 20; yet another public hearing is expected sometime the week before.
