Ballpark foes look to council for help

While Mayor Anthony A. Williams continues to lobby D.C. Council members to support a lease agreement for a new ballpark for the Washington Nationals on South Capitol Street, opponents to the project are increasing their efforts to sway council members to shoot down the deal.

With as many as 10 votes on the council still in play, stadium critics distributed hundreds of fliers near the Wilson Building yesterday, and some groups have sent scores of e-mails to council members. A large anti-ballpark rally is also scheduled for Monday in Freedom Plaza to counter one being organized by the city. Seven votes likely are needed to approve or reject the lease.

“I’m pretty optimistic,” said Chris Weiss, an advocate with the nonprofit Friends of the Earth, which opposes public financing for the stadium. “There continues to be a majority of District residents who are frustrated at how this project has played out. Politicians have to look at this and say, ‘That’s worrisome.’ ”

Meanwhile yesterday, Major League Baseball officials met with council members, and several council sources said the league has been willing to offer more concessions in the lease to garner support.

The council is scheduled to vote on the lease Tuesday. It must approve it by year’s end or MLB could seek damages or arbitration. A rejection of the lease is likely to jeopardize the city’s ability to begin construction on the ballpark by March, as planned. MLB, which owns the Nationals, also said it will not name a new owner until the lease is approved.

Currently, the only solid “yes” votes are Jack Evans, Ward 2 Democrat; Sharon Ambrose, Ward 6 Democrat; and Vincent B. Orange Sr., Ward 5 Democrat, who is running for mayor. Ballpark supporters also expect a positive vote from council Chairman Linda W. Cropp, at-large Democrat also running for mayor, which would then trigger support from Phil Mendelson, at-large Democrat, and Kathy Patterson, Ward 3 Democrat, council sources said yesterday. However, no deals have been struck yet.

Mr. Mendelson said he is “keeping his own counsel until Tuesday,” and Mrs. Patterson, who is running for council chairman, said she is awaiting responses to about 20 questions on funding and the economic development potential of the Southeast site before she can make up her mind.

“I would not be able to vote until I have some basic information that we need,” she said.

David A. Catania, at-large independent, who has questioned the cost of the stadium, said he would vote against the lease, and Adrian M. Fenty, Ward 4 Democrat who is running for mayor, said he would vote against the lease because “the deal has gotten worse.”

“I have been against public financing, and I certainly continue to be against public financing,” Mr. Fenty said.

Jim Graham, Ward 1 Democrat, said he also would reject the lease.

Kwame R. Brown, at-large Democrat, has said he would not support the lease unless private developers promise to pick up the tab for stadium cost overruns. But several council sources said his voting stance is not final.

Ballpark supporters also said they could garner support from Vincent C. Gray, Ward 7 Democrat, and Marion Barry, Ward 8 Democrat, even though both have argued against public financing for the stadium.

Council member Carol Schwartz, at-large Republican who this week forwarded a list of 26 wide-ranging questions about the stadium to the mayor, appears to be undecided.

She has not returned repeated calls and e-mails for comment, and staffers yesterday said she is not revealing her position.

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