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Articles
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| The future is now …! |
VOICE writes, "The future is now …!
BY TOM SHERWOOD
On Sunday the Washington Nationals closed out their last season at RFK.
Well, we hope.
There is at least a slight chance that the Nats may do the unthinkable and not open the 2008 season at the new ballpark off South Capitol Street.
The stadium itself most likely will be ready, although the paint may still be wet. The problem is the area around the station — specifically, the desperate push to find suitable parking for thousands of cars and the fear that the crucial Metro station enlargement won't be finished."
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If those issues are not resolved, the fan transportation mess may force a delay in using the stadium. That delay, of course, would trigger significant penalties that the city would owe the team. No one in the city or in Nats management wants that to happen.
Monument Realty, which is completing the surface parts of the expanded Metro station at First and M streets, SE, is slightly behind schedule. But its officials say they have a "recovery plan" to make up lost time.
But there's a lot of money at stake, not much time and a winter construction schedule to consider.
City officials say the worst problem is the lack of surface parking. Several sites have been identified, but the lands need all the proper permits to clear and temporarily pave them. It's not as easy as it sounds.
The city is desperate to get the U.S. Department of Transportation to allow some season-ticket holders to park in its new building garage on M Street, SE. The department has said "no way" for security reasons. The city is pressing to change officials' mind, saying only pre-cleared vehicles and season-ticket holders would get the prime spaces. But as of this week, the department is not budging.
It may take somebody getting on the telephone to President Bush — a former co-owner of the Texas Rangers — to get department officials to change their minds.
Baseball officials say settling the fan access problem remains the biggest problem. And it's hurting efforts to plan for opening day next season.
Major League Baseball is considering designating the District as the official opening day for Major League Baseball. But baseball officials worry a traffic nightmare will become more of the story than the opening-day festivities. "Imagine the blimp pulling back for a wide shot and there's traffic chaos," one worried participant said. The league doesn't want that. But it has to decide soon on the schedule for next year and the grand-opening plans.
Playing a short time next season at RFK is not likely, but the chance can't be ruled out. If RFK has to be called on again, it would be a huge and costly embarrassment to the District.
• Sweet ending. The new ballpark aside, the Nats did us proud with the final game Sunday, beating the pennant-contending Phillies. It was a good crowd — apparently not a sellout — on a beautiful day for baseball.
Mayor Adrian Fenty played the role of chief cheerleader well, rousing the crowd to several cheers in a brief ceremony before the game. Everyone knows Fenty was one of the biggest opponents of the baseball deal and new stadium. But as mayor, he's committed to trying to make the whole deal work for the city.
• Skins again? Like many baseball fans, the mayor was expecting to duck out early to make the Redskins game in the suburbs Sunday. The Skins lost to the New York Giants, but it was dramatic at the end when the team nearly shook itself awake to tie the score at the last minute. (Let's hope the Skins never again wear the weak-looking retro uniforms. They looked like a bunch of Tweety Birds.)
NBC4 has been reporting for the past year that the city would like the Redskins back in town. If the deal could be structured not to be a giveaway to owner Dan Snyder, we could see a domed stadium with 100,000 seats in place of RFK.
Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans has been the most vocal about the possible deal. Snyder has said little publicly and not much more privately. But it's possible. RFK? Watch that space.
• Subway salute. Your Notebook took the subway to RFK on Sunday. The ride from Tenleytown, with a transfer at Metro Center, went smoothly despite the huge crowd.
As we poured out at the Stadium-Armory stop, we were certain there would be a big backup at the turnstile. There wasn't.
The press of the crowd kept everyone moving, but there are still are those people who don't stand to the right even when it becomes obvious they're out of sync.
Also, where are the cabs? The expansive lanes of East Capitol Street leading into and away from RFK are eerily quiet during baseball games. Why weren't cab drivers allowed to stack up on the street and pick up passengers who might be willing to pay for a quick ride home or elsewhere?
Maybe the new ballpark will have a designated cab area. For every cab, that's one less car that has to park. For every cab, that's one less inebriated fan behind the wheel.
Tom Sherwood is a political reporter for NBC 4.
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Posted on Oct 04, 2007 16:36pm.
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