WASHINGTON--The nation's capital may have a new motto:
First in war. First in peace. First in baseball stadium funding.
If the Washington Nationals never win a pennant, they have no reason to ever doubt that D.C. loves them.
Yesterday, the District City Council tentatively approved a tab for a publicly financed ballpark that could amount to as much as $630 million.
That total, a displeased City Councilman David Catania said, is twice as much as any baseball stadium has ever cost.
"The amount of money we're spending is incredible," he said.
The ballpark initiative cleared its first legislative hurdle, 6-4, with three abstentions. It must be confirmed in a second council vote Dec. 14 or 21, but a change in direction is unlikely.
Council Chairwoman Linda Cropp insisted on a "trigger" mechanism that would move the ballpark site within the city if estimates next spring put the cost at more than $630 million--$100 million over the most recent estimate by the city's chief financial officer.
Mayor Anthony Williams said he'll gladly work with Major League Baseball "to put in a workable cap, to put in a workable trigger."
The money is to come from taxes on revenues generated by the stadium, from a special tax on city businesses, and from ballpark rent paid by the team.
Another Cropp amendment calls for the city to investigate the possibility of private investors contributing to ballpark construction costs.
Williams was clearly pleased and relieved by the vote after two months of sometimes nasty debate.
"There's a lot of room for improvement. There's a lot of room for progress," he said, agreeing with what was said yesterday about the ballpark deal during a contentious, seven-hour council meeting.
"With the passage of this measure, we're doing just that--making progress in bringing baseball to our city," Williams said.
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig probably never dreamed a financing package of this size would come out of a process begun in March 2002 when the game's relocation committee heard proposals from Washington, Northern Virginia and Portland, Ore., in Phoenix.
Las Vegas, Monterrey, Mexico, Norfolk and San Juan, Puerto Rico, also pursued the former Montreal Expos before baseball awarded the team to D.C. in September, contingent upon a public ballpark financing deal being worked out.
"I think we still have another mile or so to go on this," said Cropp, who abstained during the vote to remain "flexible" during continuing negotiations with baseball.
"I will be working with the mayor to try to resolve as many of those issues as possible," she said.
She said she will "keep everyone extremely honest on this and keep everyone's feet to the fire.
"It would be very easy for me to vote against this bill," she said moments prior to the vote. "But I will not because I want to bring baseball to the District."
Baseball owners are expected to confirm Washington as a member of the National League on Monday.
D.C. Councilwoman Sharon Ambrose, a baseball supporter, said of the ballpark initiative: "This is a good fit--and as we massage the deal it will become a better fit."
But Councilman Adrian Fenty, an opponent of public financing for the ballpark, said: "The citizens of the District of Columbia and its priorities have been left out since the very beginning.
"We are rushing this through--and with no good reason," Fenty said "This is a bad deal. It doesn't reflect the priorities of the people of the District of Columbia."
Councilman Harold Brazil, an unwavering baseball supporter, said: "It's not baseball versus schools. It's not baseball versus libraries.It's about baseball."
"It's about whether we in Washington want to be a great city or a mediocrity," he said, comparing a ballpark to a cultural venue such as the Kennedy Center.
"We can be 'the federal city that has the monuments and little else,' or we can become 'the great city,'" he said. "You've got to dare to be great to become great. Believe in yourself. That's what this whole thing is about."
More than a few unknowns remain following yesterday's vote.
The city may have to use its power of eminent domain to take land from 27 property owners.
There will be undetermined environmental cleanup costs before construction can begin.
Until the stadium is finished, the Nationals will play at rickety RFK Stadium, which has only three luxury boxes.
Bill Collins, the head of the Virginia Baseball Club, one of the groups attempting to buy the team, estimates ownership will lose $30 million in three years at RFK Stadium due to the lack of luxury suites.
If the ballpark is not finished in three years, the city could owe compensatory damages to team owners on losses from luxury suites and stadium naming rights, critics on the council said.
Because of these questions, Councilwoman Carol Schwartz said: "In essence, the council would be writing a blank check to Major League Baseball. When all is said and done, it is not unlikely that we will have a price tag closer to $1 billion.
"I am not willing to give the store away," Schwartz said.
But Brazil called Mayor Williams a hero for "making the baseball world understand we mean business, and we have the dough."
Cropp, who has absorbed some intense media criticism for delaying the vote in an attempt to curb potential cost overruns, pointed out that the initiative had been before the body for only 50 days.
"The council has been doing its job" in that time, she said.
"Council members, myself included, had never seen the full agreement until we were told we were selected," she said.
"I want baseball to come to the District--I don't want baseball to come to the District at any cost," Cropp said.
She said she opposes the idea of a simple cap on stadium costs because if the city has put $200 million into a ballpark before realizing it will cost $700 million or $800 million, "What are we going to do? Stop building?"
Catania complained that the isolated Anacostia Waterfront ballpark site doesn't have the economic development potential of the MCI Center. He said there are historic buildings to house restaurants and shops, as well as office buildings near the arena.
Brazil, however, said the MCI Center neighborhood "looked like Fallujah" before the arena opened there. "No one would venture there, other than to go to Chinatown, get in their cars and leave," he said.
Councilman Jim Graham, who media reports over the weekend predicted would be the deciding vote, ultimately opposed the stadium financing bill as wasteful.
Joining Graham in opposition were Fenty, Catania and Schwartz while Cropp, Phil Mendelson and Kathy Patterson abstained.
Ambrose, Brazil, Jack Evans, Vincent Orange Sr., Kevin Chavous and Sandy Allen voted for the ballpark financing initiative.
Montgomery County, Md., resident Ron Gabriel attended the meeting wearing a baseball tie, as well as Washington Senators and Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers fan club buttons.
Gabriel, a human resources consultant, said he isn't bothered by the city footing the cost of the stadium because, "you have to spend money to make money." He noted that more than 80 percent of fans attending games are expected to be bringing money into the District from Virginia and Maryland.
Also attending the meeting was ballpark opponent Kenneth Lyons, Emergency Medical Services providers of Washington, D.C.
Lyons said the city can't afford to maintain adequate EMS staffing. The mayor, he said, has "found a way to creatively finance this stadium on the backs of the people of this city, but cannot commit to the health and well-being of these same people."
Charles Spring, a District resident who's a member of both the No D.C. Taxes for Baseball Coalition and the Affordable Housing Coalition, also objected to the stadium financing plan.
"It's too much money," he said, adding that it will handcuff the city in trying to address other needs.
Rose Marie Flynn, a 78-year-old member of the Washington Metro Gray Panthers who attended the meeting, agreed. She blamed the ballpark plan for the closing of a homeless shelter in the Southeast area in early November, claiming the city "wants the homeless out of the way" so the neighborhood will seem more appealing to baseball fans.
To reach MICHAEL ZITZ: 540/374-5408 mikez@freelancestar.com