They cant even get the Expos to Washington!

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1946925

Yep that deal is basically dead. Sad.

12/15/2004 1:11 AM ET

DC Council passes amended bill

Approves stadium plan, but adds private financing

By Jeff Seidel / Special to MLB.com

 

WASHINGTON -- The District of Columbia Council voted Tuesday night to require private financing for at least half the construction costs of a new ballpark for the Washington Nationals, a move that might leave baseball with little choice but to reopen the search for a long-term home for the franchise.

Capping a session that lasted more than 11 hours and was filled with contentious debate and a surprise 11th-hour move from chair Linda Cropp, the council voted 7-6 to approve legislation to finance construction of a ballpark.

 

But the bill contains the amendment Cropp pushed through, which outlines that 50 percent of the construction costs must come from private financing by the spring or the entire bill expires.

 

That provision was not contained in the agreement between the Nationals and Washington Mayor Anthony A. Williams. When the council gave its initial approval to the law on Nov. 30, it called for the city to issue $531 million in bonds to finance the plan.

 

The onus now has been placed on Williams to try and find the required amount of private financing.

 

Cropp said she's confident that private financing can be found for the stadium, but Williams was clearly upset. The Mayor sat in the front row at the hearing for long stretches throughout the day, but left the Council chambers 20 minutes before the final vote and declined to talk with reporters.

 

MLB officials took a wait-and-see attitude after the vote.

 

"We will review the amendments and the legislation as passed and have a response tomorrow," said Bob DuPuy, baseball's president and chief operating officer.

 

The Nationals will play the 2005 season at Washington's RFK Stadium. If the law stands, one option for baseball could be to have its search committee resume negotiations with cities that desire the team. Las Vegas; Monterrey, Mexico; Norfolk, Va.; Northern Virginia; Portland, Ore.; and San Juan, Puerto Rico also tried to land the franchise.

 

Cropp has said for several weeks that she wants a deal with private financing and that she wasn't trying to kill baseball in the District -- just come up with something better for the city.

 

"I don't want to stop baseball," Cropp said. "But it has to be something within reason."

 

Council member Jack Evans said the provision could be a deal breaker.

 

"Changing the agreement will then negate the agreement, and then Major League Baseball will go somewhere else," Evans said.

 

City Administrator Robert C. Bobb seemed stunned after Cropp pushed through the amendment.

 

"Have we given Major League Baseball an opportunity to walk? I think we [have]," Bobb said. "It's going to be interesting."

 

This was the bill's second reading and vote. The bill passed on its first reading two weeks ago by a 6-4 vote with three abstentions. Cropp was one of those abstaining and said she wanted Williams to re-open talks with Major League Baseball in the hopes of changing some parts of the deal.

 

The council had until Dec. 31 to pass a stadium financing plan as part of the relocation deal Williams signed in September. Baseball owners approved the move of the Montreal Expos to Washington on Dec. 2 on the condition that financing be put in place consistent with the deal, and arrangements to prepare RFK Stadium for use in 2005 satisfied Commissioner Bud Selig.

 

Cropp and Williams both had been talking with MLB officials in recent days. Cropp seemed pleased with that progress heading into Tuesday's session, telling reporters on Monday that she was leaning toward voting for the bill - which would have guaranteed passage.

 

In fact, Cropp sided with most of the other Council members who supported the bill throughout the 11 hours of debate on the amendments. That's one reason why her move - coming as it did around 10 p.m. and after so many hours of long debate - surprised Council members.

 

"I hadn't seen it before," Evans said. "The deal's still alive. But we'll just have to see how [baseball officials] react tomorrow."

 

The Nationals are supposed to play the next three seasons in RFK Stadium. The stadium is in need of major renovation, and that money is tied up in this bill. This bill also gives the District the right to sell bonds to pay for the proposed 41,000-seat ballpark along the Anacostia River that would be ready for the 2008 season.

 

The Nationals start play April 4 at Philadelphia and play their home opener April 14 against Arizona at RFK Stadium.

 

 

The Council also tried to pass a slew of amendments that would have cut costs on the stadium. The only major one that got through before Cropp's actions was one she pushed asking for a cap on cost over-runs of $50 million - letting the District find another less expensive site if that happened.

 

Costs for the project have varied from $435 million to more than $600 million, one reason why some Council members felt wary of making the stadium completely publicly financed.

 

Jeff Seidel is a contributor to MLB.com. The Associated Press also contributed to this report. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

 

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/NASApp...t=.jsp&c_id=was

Unveiling of Washington Nationals Uniform Postponed

Wednesday December 15, 2004 9:25am

 

 

Washington (AP) - The Washington Nationals have postponed a news conference for Wednesday to unveil their new uniforms.

 

A team spokesman tells The Associated Press they'll issue a statement later Wednesday about why the event is being delayed.

 

It could be a sign, however, the deal between the city and Major League Baseball is in jeopardy. The D.C. council passed a stadium financing bill last night that requires half the construction cost be privately paid. The deal the mayor had made with baseball requires the stadium be financed entirely with public dollars.

 

Mayor Anthony Williams (website - news - bio) hasn't made any comment about council's vote. He's expected to hold a news conference later Wednesday. Baseball officials say they'll met later Wednesday to figure out its next step

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1204/194522.html

This will get done. There is no way MLB will allow this deal to die, being so close... These negotiations are always a pain in the arse, but in the end, it will get done...

 

Now, if it doesn't, did I read correctly? Will they allow the team to play in Washington for one year, then look at other options?

Now, if it doesn't, did I read correctly? Will they allow the team to play in Washington for one year, then look at other options?

635787[/snapback]

Correct, Nats in '05...who knows what beyond that.

Listen to Sportsradio in Washington:

 

980 WTEM

1260 WWRC

I pray it wont happen. But I really doubt it. I admit, when the news first came out, i could have cried. But now it seems like a dead deal

They are going to get this done one way or another...I expect Northern VA to come back strong with a proposal some time in the future. I personally thought that putting the stadium in Northern Va would be the better idea anyways, but we shall see

Enough of the Vegas threads!!!

 

The Marlins aren't going to Vegas and Samson pretty much confirmed this yesterday.

Move the Expos/San Juan/Mexico/North Pole/Nationals to Orlando, FL! :plain

Thanks Cape, I'm listening. I feel so sorry for those people.

 

Cropp must be really pleased.

It would be sweet if the deal fell through, that way the marlins wouldnt think of doing such a thing