DC Baseball Update
Looks like a deal has been reached between Mayor Anthony Williams and Council Chairwoman Linda Cropp that they believe could save baseball in DC:
Under the new proposal, which the 13-member council is to vote on today, the city will purchase insurance for potential cost overruns on the stadium and split the payments with Major League Baseball. Also, District officials will continue pursuing private financing for the project for several months. But Cropp said she will drop a requirement that 50 percent of the construction costs be paid for with private money.
[...]
Cropp said the proposed changes could reduce the District's potential costs for the stadium by up to $193.5 million when compared with the deal Williams struck with baseball officials in September. She said she expects a council majority to approve the new agreement.
I'm not so certain Major League Baseball will take the bait. There is still another week and a half before the deadline on December 31 and MLB could hold out for a better deal. Their position all along has been that a deal was reached two months ago, was approved by the DC Council, and the only issue now should be approving the bonds for public financing. Anything less black and white than that would be an alteration of the original agreement.
Baseball does have an incentive to negotiate because at this time, there is no better alternative than Washington, DC. That appears to be what Cropp is banking on. Maybe her last second power play, low as it is, will bear some fruit for the city. If so, she will have increased her stock with the voters at Mayor Williams' expense, showing that she is a tough negotiator, while Mayor Williams appears willing to cave too easily. She will also show that she has the cooperation of the DC Council, something Mayor Williams cannot claim.
The alternative is MLB doesn't budge, and Cropp's plan kills DC baseball. What the electorate thinks of that is another, less clear, matter.
Under the new proposal, which the 13-member council is to vote on today, the city will purchase insurance for potential cost overruns on the stadium and split the payments with Major League Baseball. Also, District officials will continue pursuing private financing for the project for several months. But Cropp said she will drop a requirement that 50 percent of the construction costs be paid for with private money.
[...]
Cropp said the proposed changes could reduce the District's potential costs for the stadium by up to $193.5 million when compared with the deal Williams struck with baseball officials in September. She said she expects a council majority to approve the new agreement.
I'm not so certain Major League Baseball will take the bait. There is still another week and a half before the deadline on December 31 and MLB could hold out for a better deal. Their position all along has been that a deal was reached two months ago, was approved by the DC Council, and the only issue now should be approving the bonds for public financing. Anything less black and white than that would be an alteration of the original agreement.
Baseball does have an incentive to negotiate because at this time, there is no better alternative than Washington, DC. That appears to be what Cropp is banking on. Maybe her last second power play, low as it is, will bear some fruit for the city. If so, she will have increased her stock with the voters at Mayor Williams' expense, showing that she is a tough negotiator, while Mayor Williams appears willing to cave too easily. She will also show that she has the cooperation of the DC Council, something Mayor Williams cannot claim.
The alternative is MLB doesn't budge, and Cropp's plan kills DC baseball. What the electorate thinks of that is another, less clear, matter.
posted by Mike C | 11:54 AM
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