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Cropp Postpones Vote on Stadium Legislation

By David Nakamura
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 9, 2004; 11:36 AM

D.C. Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp abruptly removed a bill to build a baseball stadium with public money along the Anacostia River in Southeast from the council's legislative agenda this morning, announcing that she has a new plan that could provide up to $350 million in private funding for the project.

Cropp's action, which shocked her colleagues, came after nearly two hours of closed-door debate by the 13-member body. Council members said that the chairman, who had opposed details of Mayor Anthony A. Williams's pact with Major League Baseball to build the stadium, asked them to table the legislation for two weeks.

When Cropp (D) could not secure a majority of votes to table the bill, she exercised her right to set the council's agenda and removed the item. She said she will place it on the council's agenda for two weeks from today.

In that time, Cropp said, she will be able to provide more details about her latest plan. In brief remarks to reporters at the Wilson Building this morning, Cropp said that her new proposal will use a creative means to finance the stadium, choosing a developer to privately fund much of the project. The city would provide about $150 million for infrastructure improvements and to pay for the 21 acres of land that will be needed.

Cropp told council members that a developer has already approached her with the idea.

Under the mayor's plan, the stadium -- to be built near the Navy Yard and South Capitol Street -- could cost up to $530 million and would be financed through a combination of a gross receipts tax on large businesses, a tax on concessions and an annual rent payment by the team. In return, Major League Baseball will relocate the Montreal Expos to Washington this spring.

Last week, Cropp offered a proposal to build the stadium adjacent to Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, saying that the city would save 20 percent on the costs when compared to Williams's plan. Today, she said that her new plan involves building the stadium at the site in the mayor's plan.

Mayoral and council aides said that a majority of seven council members were prepared to support the mayor's plan at today's legislative session. That group refused to agree to table the measure, so Cropp pulled it at her own discretion, council members said.

"The most important thing is that this will enable the baseball stadium to be built with my support at the South Capital Street site," Cropp said. "My plan will eliminate government financing and eliminate the risk that is there for the government."

Harold Brazil (D-At Large), a supporter of the mayor's stadium plan, said that he is not concerned that Cropp's latest move will jeopardize the District's effort to land a team.

"At the end of the day, there will be seven votes for" the mayor's plan, he said. "I think baseball will be on track."

Carol Schwartz (R-At Large), who supported Cropp's plan to build near RFK, said that she believed Cropp was justified in delaying a vote.

"The chairman has the right to do it," Schwartz said.