On deck: Playing field for stadium

Officials overseeing construction of the Washington Nationals’ new ballpark said they will start installing the playing field as soon as the end of this month, another key step in the completion of the $611 million project.

Workers from Clark Construction and its subcontactors are finishing work on the ballpark’s two drainage systems and plan to lay sod within the next 2½ weeks, said Matt Haas, project executive with Clark.

The stadium’s sod will consist of bluegrass grown in New Jersey and installed by Carolina Green Corp. of Indian Trail, N.C., and District-based RBK Construction.

During a tour of the ballpark site yesterday morning, Haas reiterated that construction of the stadium is on schedule for Opening Day 2008. The bulk of the structure, including two parking garages on site, is nearly fully erected. Stadium workers have been installing seats in the ballpark at a rate of 1,800 to 2,000 a week, with all expected to be in place by the end of the month. Much work remains on the inside portions of the ballpark, though the clubhouses are nearly complete and the concession stand and restaurant areas are taking shape.

The biggest remaining challenges, Haas said, will be completing site work on the outer edge of the stadium, such as sidewalks and plazas. Installing the electrical system for the ballpark’s massive scoreboard also will pose a challenge because of the complexity of the job.

Haas said harsh winter weather often poses a challenge on large construction projects but does not expect snow, ice or cold temperatures to affect the timeline for completion. The Nationals could play in the ballpark as soon as the end of March.

“I think we have a good enough head start that it won’t be a major issue,” he said.

The most recent budget report from the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission shows the city has spent $428.9 million toward the ballpark project, including about $280 million toward the hard and soft costs of the stadium. Just $2.8 million of the project’s $19.2 million contingency fund remains.

Meanwhile, city officials yesterday said they have started an in-depth review of the qualifications of workers in the District after the sports commission and Clark revealed they have fallen short of meeting all of their hiring goals for the new ballpark.

Officials acknowledged yesterday that only 28 percent of the project’s journeyman workers were residents of the District, well short of the commission’s goal of 50 percent. Council member Kwame Brown, at-large Democrat and chairman of the committee on economic development, called the 28 percent figure unacceptably low but conceded contractors may be having trouble finding qualified journeyman workers in the city. To become a journeyman, a worker must receive training at a vocational school and be employed for one to five years as an apprentice.

“If the skill set is not there, then all we’re doing is philosophizing,” Brown said.