Nats stadium debate: It’s back!

Well, now, isn’t this interesting: Thanks to errors in last December’s rushed Washington Nationals stadium bill – among other things, some tax money was pledged to two different purposes at once – the legislation is heading back to the D.C. council for amendments, which could lead to a reopening of debates on the project’s financing (80% public) and cost ($581 million and counting). Two of the new councilmembers who took office in January after the stadium vote, Kwame Brown and Vincent Gray, have expressed in interest in reopening discussion of building on a cheaper site near the Nats’ current home of RFK Stadium; while council chair Linda Cropp may try to block such a move on procedural grounds, MLB is apparently concerned enough to have polled prospective Nats buyers as to whether they would still bid as much for the team if the stadium site were shifted. It could be weeks or months before this is resolved, so stay tuned.