The debate over the plan to bring baseball to D.C. has culminated in a conflict over public financing after a series of sudden counter-proposals within the city council.
Major League Baseball announced in late September that the Montreal Expos would move to Washington, under the condition that a stadium is constructed. Since then, Mayor Anthony Williams and proponents of public financing for the stadium, whose main concern is economic development, have argued with council members and city groups who are anxious about the rising cost of the stadium and possible affects on city services. The initial cost etimated was $440 million, but officials increased the projection to $530 million in early November.
In the last week, Council Chairwoman Linda Cropp proposed two alternate plans. One attempt to change the proposed stadium site ended after Williams gained the support of a seven-member majority of the council. Cropp announced the second plan after she blocked Tuesday’s planned vote on the stadium funding. She wants to pursue financing through private entities according to Cropp’s Press Secretary, Mark Johnson.
“The mayor is definitely prepared to consider private financing,” Johnson said. “We’re talking a whole new scenario now, one that saves money for the city.”
The private financing plan developed in a meeting between Cropp and the owners of BW Realty Advisors after the company met a chilly reception from the mayor, Johnson said. The proposal calls for the firm to fund two-thirds of the stadium for the right to build it. While Cropp is confident that her plan will have the support of the council, the mayor is concerned about Cropp’s negotiations.
“If people have different ideas, we need an open, transparent process,” Chris Bender, the Mayor’s spokesperson, said. “We’ve always been flexible in terms of the financing.”
Williams has already changed his plan in response to public concerns since the original proposal. The main portion of the public funding comes from a tax on businesses that gross over $4 million yearly, a shift up from the original $3 million bracket. Williams also plans to use a portion of the taxes paid in the area around the stadium to purchase up to $450 million in bonds to fund community initiatives.
“We have always said that this is not just about baseball: it’s about investment in communities,” Bender said.
Bender noted that the MCI Center, a public development similarly designed to revitalize the economy, has created 34,500 jobs and $141 million in tax revenues.
While the mayor believes a majority of the council will continue supporting his plan, others raised questions about council members suppporting the mayor who have received public funds for their wards. The Washington Post reported yesterday that Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) decided to vote for the project after the mayor allocated $45 million to the public library system. Bender characterized the trade as “political negotiation.”
“Council members represent what their ward needs,” he said. “We find a way to achieve that need. How it’s achieved at this point is irrelevant.”
All parties involved remain confident that the council will reach a financing deal in time for the Dec. 31 deadline established in the agreement with MLB.
“People believe in that vision,” Bender said. “They believe that baseball is part of a new waterfront. People want to get this moving.”
