DC Commitment To Build Stadium a Success

[machpost]

Easy answer, it was the usage of eminent domain and a billion dollars in investment that upgraded the area (a prime location between the US Capitol and the river), not the ballpark itself. If the ballpark was so magical why does the renewal stop 50 yards away if you head across South Capitol Street? Last night at 8 PM there was a shoot out a block away, third shooting in that area in 3-4 weeks. I often park behind those townhouses and chat with the owners but it's getting too risky, I'm at the point of paying more to park in a less convenient spot.

Things are slowly picking up in Southwest at least down at Buzzard Point around Audi Field, but I always thought it was really odd how things change so dramatically once you cross South Capitol.

[PowerBoater69]

Things are slowly picking up in Southwest at least down at Buzzard Point around Audi Field, but I always thought it was really odd how things change so dramatically once you cross South Capitol.

That's because the city spent close to another billion in the area around Audi Field. If you push out the low rent businesses and spend hundreds of millions on upgrades the area will get nicer, with or without a ballpark or stadium.

[imref]

As for the discussion at hand, interested parties might want to read this, which I wrote for the Hill Rag a few months ago. (I'm now officially retired from blogging, but I haven't yet forgotten the stuff that took up more than 15 years of my life. )

https://www.hillrag.com/2022/01/09/the-modern-capitol-riverfront/

[Smithian]

I'm against taxpayer funded stadium developments precisely because of Nationals Park. I think Nats Park has worked out as well as a new stadium can work out, and this thread shows there are still two sides to the story and a very good argument this would have happened without the Park.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

As for the discussion at hand, interested parties might want to read this, which I wrote for the Hill Rag a few months ago. (I'm now officially retired from blogging, but I haven't yet forgotten the stuff that took up more than 15 years of my life. )

https://www.hillrag.com/2022/01/09/the-modern-capitol-riverfront/

nicely done, JD.  Fundamentally, the location and the availability of money and the massive clearance of the land probably were the necessary parts of the reaction, but the park functioned more like a catalyst or a focal point around which the reaction happened.  PB69 nails it in that the biggest need was the cleared land and money.  You have that much space in close to the center of a major city and it's going to fill, but the ballpark crowds and their absence probably are a big contributor to the bottom line of the various bars, etc... around there. 

[Senatorswin]

I'm not sure how old the oldest ones are, but here's a massive archive of photos of the neighborhood over time: http://www.jdland.com/dc/photobrowse-all.cfm

If you click the (Image removed from quote.) button, you get a slider image where you can go back and forth between different times.

Wow. Very cool. Thank you.

[Senatorswin]

On a related note, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has come out in support of building a football stadium in DC since the name change from Redskins to Commanders. Although she would like the return of the local football team to DC, she said the city cannot match the 1 billion dollars plus some sales tax revenue Virginia has offered to build it there.

As much as I'd like to see the Commanders come back to DC, funding the construction of a football stadium is a much harder sell than baseball or even a shared arena for basketball and hockey. A football stadium only hosts 10 events a year.  Virginia wants the new stadium to be part of a new large complex. Of the three sites Virginia has proposed the closest to DC is still 30 miles away. Stinks but I can't blame DC for not matching that.

[PowerBoater69]

A billion dollars to develop the neighborhood, only to let it go to crap.

[Senatorswin]

A billion dollars to develop the neighborhood, only to let it go to crap.

(Image removed from quote.)

It's important to know exactly where this happened. I'm not sure what the boundaries are for what's called the Navy Yard but if you get in neighborhoods up M st away from where the stadium is and closer to the Navy Yard like around 10th and 11th street those neighborhoods are still shaky.

[PowerBoater69]

It's important to know exactly where this happened. I'm not sure what the boundaries are for what's called the Navy Yard but if you get in neighborhoods up M st away from where the stadium is and closer to the Navy Yard like around 10th and 11th street those neighborhoods are still shaky.

400 block of K Street, between the Nats T/U and W parking lots.

[machpost]

Two blocks away from Mike Rizzo's house.

[Senatorswin]

400 block of K Street, between the Nats T/U and W parking lots.

(Image removed from quote.)

I wouldn't consider that a bad neighborhood. When I go to games I walk near there to the stadium and feel safe. I think any city is going to have some crime but as a whole I consider that area and neighborhoods close to it safe.

I know they spent a ton of money building the new Yankee Stadium and I wouldn't want to walk around that neighborhood. Also the White Sox stadium.

[machpost]

It seems that some people are questioning the legitimacy of this carjacking story anyway, as some of the details in the Reddit thread don't quite add up.

[HalfSmokes]

You can pull the police blotter for that day. I’m too lazy, but it shouldn’t be hard

[MarquisDeSade]

Loving seeing DC return to the pre-The Plan days. Someone keep track of all of the sad clowns that get robbed and beaten senseless this season for me.

[MarquisDeSade]

On a related note, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has come out in support of building a football stadium in DC since the name change from Redskins to Commanders. Although she would like the return of the local football team to DC, she said the city cannot match the 1 billion dollars plus some sales tax revenue Virginia has offered to build it there.

As much as I'd like to see the Commanders come back to DC, funding the construction of a football stadium is a much harder sell than baseball or even a shared arena for basketball and hockey. A football stadium only hosts 10 events a year.  Virginia wants the new stadium to be part of a new large complex. Of the three sites Virginia has proposed the closest to DC is still 30 miles away. Stinks but I can't blame DC for not matching that.

Bowser such an idiot. When the tax base leaves town for the burbs she’ll be nowhere to be found.

[Chelsea_Phil]

Maybe Bowser’s rich girlfriend will pay for the stadium.

[imref]

FWIW, there seems to be almost weekly music festivals at the RFK site. A decent stadium, perhaps with a dome, could easily be a viable venue for a lot more than just Commanders games.

[UMDNats]

FWIW, there seems to be almost weekly music festivals at the RFK site. A decent stadium, perhaps with a dome, could easily be a viable venue for a lot more than just Commanders games.

$2 billion in public money for 10 Commanders games where it's 60% full and 5 McCartney concerts. A steal at any price.

[imref]

$2 billion in public money for 10 Commanders games where it's 60% full and 5 McCartney concerts. A steal at any price.

10 commander games, and looking at schedules at other stadiums, probably 2-3 other events per month. So 35-45 events a year.  That doesn't include corporate events that most stadiums hold pretty frequently. I attended several at baseball stadiums last October-November.