Expos' move to Washington could come apart over ballpark f..

Expos' move to Washington could come apart over ballpark financing

By DERRILL HOLLY, Associated Press Writer
December 15, 2004




WASHINGTON (AP) -- Major league baseball's return to Washington might be for
one year only.
The District of Columbia Council voted Tuesday night to require private
financing for at least half the cost of a new ballpark for the Expos, a move
that could cause the commissioner's office to reopen the search for a
long-term home for the franchise.
Capping an 11 1/2 -hour session filled with contentious debate, the council
voted 7-6 to approve legislation to finance construction of a ballpark. But
the bill contained the amendment on private financing, a provision not
contained in the September agreement between the Expos and Washington Mayor
Anthony A. Williams.
``We will review the amendments and the legislation as passed and have a
response tomorrow,'' said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer.
If the law stands, baseball's likely response would be to have the team play
the 2005 season at Washington's RFK Stadium, where it would be known as the
Nationals, while baseball's search committee resumes negotiations with
cities that desire the team.
The Expos were bought by the other 29 teams before the 2002 season and, from
the start, baseball owners insisted a publicly financed stadium for the team
be a component of any move.
Council Chair Linda Cropp offered the private-financing provision, saying it
would be crucial for her support. She was considered the swing vote on the
13-member council.

Cropp said she was not satisfied with concessions offered by baseball that
would have made the deal more financially palatable for the city. 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.
``I have not seen the movement from Major League Baseball that I would have
liked in the past two weeks,'' Cropp said. ``My dream of dreams is that we
will get enough private financing that the costs of building the stadium
will be eliminated.''
Jack Evans, baseball's most passionate advocate on the council, said the
provision could be a deal breaker.
``This gives baseball an out,'' he said. ``Changing the agreement will then
negate the agreement, and then Major League Baseball will go somewhere
else.''
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 Expos' move Dec. 2. on the condition that financing be put in place
consistent with the deal, and that arrangements to prepare RFK Stadium for
use in 2005 satisfied baseball commissioner Bud Selig.
Williams left the council chambers after Cropp's amendment passed, and
police blocked the door so reporters couldn't follow him. When they were
able to get to his office, the mayor could not be found.
The measure allows the city to sell bonds to pay for a 41,000-seat ballpark
about one mile south of the U.S. Capitol along the Anacostia River. The
baseball relocation agreement estimates it will cost $435 million to build a
new stadium and refurbish RFK Stadium as a temporary home for the team.
Opponents claim the project will total more than $600 million.
Any costs other than the private financing would be covered by a gross
receipts tax on the city's largest businesses, taxes on tickets, concessions
and parking and rent from the team's owners.
Washington has been without a major league team since the expansion Senators
moved to Texas following the 1971 season. The Expos' move would be the first
major league franchise relocation since then.
The original Senators played in Washington from 1901-60 before moving to
Minnesota to become the Twins. The expansion Senators called Washington home
from 1961-71 before moving to Texas and becoming the Rangers.
Washington's new team would start play April 4 at Philadelphia and play its
home opener April 14 against Arizona at RFK Stadium.
Las Vegas; Monterrey, Mexico; Norfolk, Va.; Northern Virginia; Portland,
Ore.; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, also tried to land the Expos.
Associated Press Writer Brett Zongker contributed to this story
Updated on Wednesday, Dec 15, 2004 12:29 am EST
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I live in DC and now we'll have no team thanks to that moron Cropp. She
lives in a dream world if she thinks Bud is going to put up with that
kind of bait and switch. We don't deserve a team if the leaders of our
city are going to run the show like this.

At least I can put all of my Nationals gear on eBay now that they're
going to be collector's items.

I'll take the time to cry when I stop laughing so hard....











> Expos' move to Washington could come apart over ballpark financing
>
> By DERRILL HOLLY, Associated Press Writer
> December 15, 2004
>
>
>
>
> WASHINGTON (AP) -- Major league baseball's return to Washington might
> be for one year only.
> The District of Columbia Council voted Tuesday night to require
> private financing for at least half the cost of a new ballpark for the
> Expos, a move that could cause the commissioner's office to reopen the
> search for a long-term home for the franchise.
> Capping an 11 1/2 -hour session filled with contentious debate, the
> council voted 7-6 to approve legislation to finance construction of a
> ballpark. But the bill contained the amendment on private financing, a
> provision not contained in the September agreement between the Expos
> and Washington Mayor Anthony A. Williams.
> ``We will review the amendments and the legislation as passed and have
> a response tomorrow,'' said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating
> officer. If the law stands, baseball's likely response would be to
> have the team play the 2005 season at Washington's RFK Stadium, where
> it would be known as the Nationals, while baseball's search committee
> resumes negotiations with cities that desire the team.
> The Expos were bought by the other 29 teams before the 2002 season
> and, from the start, baseball owners insisted a publicly financed
> stadium for the team be a component of any move.
> Council Chair Linda Cropp offered the private-financing provision,
> saying it would be crucial for her support. She was considered the
> swing vote on the 13-member council.
>
> Cropp said she was not satisfied with concessions offered by baseball
> that would have made the deal more financially palatable for the city.
> 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. ``I have not seen the movement from Major League Baseball that I
> would have liked in the past two weeks,'' Cropp said. ``My dream of
> dreams is that we will get enough private financing that the costs of
> building the stadium will be eliminated.''
> Jack Evans, baseball's most passionate advocate on the council, said
> the provision could be a deal breaker.
> ``This gives baseball an out,'' he said. ``Changing the agreement will
> then negate the agreement, and then Major League Baseball will go
> somewhere else.''
> 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 Expos' move Dec. 2. on the condition that financing be
> put in place consistent with the deal, and that arrangements to
> prepare RFK Stadium for use in 2005 satisfied baseball commissioner
> Bud Selig. Williams left the council chambers after Cropp's amendment
> passed, and police blocked the door so reporters couldn't follow him.
> When they were able to get to his office, the mayor could not be
> found. The measure allows the city to sell bonds to pay for a
> 41,000-seat ballpark about one mile south of the U.S. Capitol along
> the Anacostia River. The baseball relocation agreement estimates it
> will cost $435 million to build a new stadium and refurbish RFK
> Stadium as a temporary home for the team. Opponents claim the project
> will total more than $600 million. Any costs other than the private
> financing would be covered by a gross receipts tax on the city's
> largest businesses, taxes on tickets, concessions and parking and rent
> from the team's owners. Washington has been without a major league
> team since the expansion Senators moved to Texas following the 1971
> season. The Expos' move would be the first major league franchise
> relocation since then. The original Senators played in Washington from
> 1901-60 before moving to Minnesota to become the Twins. The expansion
> Senators called Washington home from 1961-71 before moving to Texas
> and becoming the Rangers. Washington's new team would start play April
> 4 at Philadelphia and play its home opener April 14 against Arizona at
> RFK Stadium. Las Vegas; Monterrey, Mexico; Norfolk, Va.; Northern
> Virginia; Portland, Ore.; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, also tried to
> land the Expos. Associated Press Writer Brett Zongker contributed to
> this story Updated on Wednesday, Dec 15, 2004 12:29 am EST
> Email to a Friend | View Popular
>
>
>
>
>
>