See article in Post at this link. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27710-2004Nov5.html "Cropp (D) has planned a 12:30 p.m. news conference at the Wilson Building to announce her new proposal, which would move the location of a stadium from the banks of the Anacostia River in Southeast. It is unclear where the new site would be, but Cropp has talked in private meetings with other council members about her preference to keep the team at the site of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium." If they stay at RFK, what would this mean for United's SSS?? Please discuss.
I wonder if AEG could just buy RFK from the DCSEC. I'd think you could get it at a fraction of the cost of building a new place.
I guess it means they would build it in the parking lots and then knock down RFK for parking, something that has been done in many cities. I don't think it would have much of an impact on a SSS as this move as more to do with funding than location.
yes, there was coverage of this baseball stadium location story on ch9 news at noon today. cropp said the plan to build at the RFK site would save 20% off the current plan on S. Capitol St. the suggested new plan also caught anthony williams off guard as i think he really likes the idea of the proposed stadium site on the Green line.
I'm sure it caught him off guard, because the two proposed sites for an SSS were Poplar Point (which is running into opposition in the neighborhood) or at RFK. Which then means if the baseball stadium is at the RFK Site we're left with no choice really other then Poplar. So looks like DCU has their work cut out for them on some community interaction to get the neighbors to go for it.
Per the article, not sure if the proposal would place the new ballpark in the stadium parking lots or more in the area of where DC General has stood. Either way its interesting as Linda Cropp has been seen, before this, as one of the mayor's likely allies in getting a ballpark built at the location off of South Capitol St. Maybe there's been too much opposition to the cost under the current proposal and she's looking for an alternative. I'll see if I can catch anything on News Channel 8.
I read the article the same way...it's the DC General complex in the Hill East section of the graphic:
The projected cost of the originally proposed stadium will be ONE HALF BILLION DOLLARS - ANY proposed to reduce that significantly should be seriously considered And the use of ONLY ONE SUBWAY LINE for any stadium (baseball, soccer, or whatever) is ludicrous - The Green Line does a great job serving the peoples of Anacostia and southern PG - But its totally inadequate for moving masses of people within a limited time frame for ball games RFK is ideally situated on the Orange-Blue line that comes from the center of the city (with connections to VA and MD) and from different parts of suburban MD - These grounds are HUUUGGEEE - There oughta be enough room for both a new baseball stadium and a new soccer stadium
Didn't see anything on Channel8 but the Washington Post has a streaming video link to Linda Cropp's press conference. She has definitely broken with the Mayor. Two other council members, Catania and Mendelson, also spoke. All of them oppose the Mayor and Expos' plan as too expensive and too much of a burden to DC businesses. Cropp was asked where the stadium would be located and she wasn't clear but said it would be something that has already been discussed - so it probably would dust off some of the earlier plans to have it built on the current grounds / parking lots (the Post article left the impression it might be on "Reservation 13" or the DC General grounds). Anyway, from watching the press conference, it's clear this isn't motivated by the best location for a stadium. Rather, it's about a cheaper way to build a stadium. So these council members have not have really put any thought into an exact location. It'll be interesting to see what the Mayor's response was at his press conference - which should be wrapping up about now.
The Post website posted streaming video of the Mayor's press conference. The new stadium is in trouble. Mayor Williams and Mark Tuohey of the SEC both spoke. Williams says the Council will lose credibility if they don't approve his plans. He brought out some pro-baeball posters made earlier by local schoolkids. He said that, if the Council approves Cropp's plan on Tuesday, "it'll blow things up." A reporter stated that Jack Evans (Councilmember in support of Mayor's baseball stadium plan) told him that Cropp's proposal has majority support within the Council right now. The Mayor did not dispute that and said it will be difficult to get his proposal approved. Expect major lobbying, bargaining and behind-the-scenes attempts at dealmaking between now and Tuesday. As a DC United fan, I really don't feel that I have a dog in this fight. But whatever happens could have a very major impact on the future of a SSS for DC United. It's just hard to forecast, with what little we know, which option is more beneficial (or less detrimental?) to soccer.
Your "question" is correct. There's no reason why the City Council couldn't change current law if they felt like doing it.
I thought that while the city owned the stadium it was on federal land, controlled by the park service. Don't really know how that changes things, but I'm sure it would complicates it a little.
Unless this is one of those things Congress has limited them on. Baseball made a deal. If DC backs out, they should consider carefully the possibility of saying something. But if this means a new stadium, just elsewhere, they probably don't care. The 2 stadiums across the river with views of the capitol idea seems promising for development, but I'll leave that to those from DC to decide.
Wait a sec, I thought all the evidence pointed to the citizens of the district as well as educated economic analyists were in overwhelming favor of the Mayor's plan....oh...wait... Good for these people to stand up and not let MLB ream the city.
I don't want my tax dollars paying for some half billion dollar boondoggle. You can bet my rep will be hearing about this.
ding dong the witch is dead, the witch is dead, the witch is dead .......... ding dong, the wicked witch is deeeeaaaaadddddd!!!!
NBC4 says that staying in Montreal is the only option they currently have. They can have 'em. -dave I can't believe I just posted in one of these baseball threads
This is really amusing. I certainly hope that it's easy going for the proposed SSS -- it ought to be since United isn't asking D.C. to directly finance the construction of the stadium itself. Unfortunately, easy is not D.C.'s modus operandi. Strangely, however, I feel confident that Uncle Phil & Kevin Payne eventually will get the job done and done right.
Daring to venture slightly off topic. I've been to the capitol twice. Outside of the govt buildings and the like isn't downtown DC a big slum? How expensive could it be to raize a ghetto, move those people out of the city and build a SSS there? I know, it sounds bad but I'm looking at redeveloping some run down areas.
no, that just isn't true. are there some bad areas in DC? yes. but it's far less than outsiders typically think.