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DC Zoning Commission Approves Mayor’s
Plan For Nationals Ballpark, Parking |
The DC Zoning Commission on Thursday approved Mayor Anthony Williams’ plan for the new Nationals ballpark, “including his proposal to wrap four levels of parking inside two condominium towers,” according to Lyndsey Layton of the WASHINGTON POST. The commission rejected Williams’ “backup plan” that “called for standard parking garages.” The zoning commissioners said that standard parking garages would be “detrimental to the city’s plans to create a thriving entertainment district around the stadium.” Williams’ plan now needs to be approved by the DC Council. But DC CFO Natwar Gandhi said that he “could not endorse the mayor’s proposal because of 11 hurdles that remain,” including the fact that DC-based Western Development President Herb Miller, whose company will build the parking structures, “lacks a financing agreement from a lender.” He added that Williams’ plan will cost $9M more than DC has budgeted. Gandhi said that it was “unlikely that all outstanding issues could be resolved by Tuesday, when the council is to vote on the mayor’s plan.” But Miller said that he was “confident he could answer Gandhi’s concerns by Monday.” Miller: “We can work out every one of these issues with [Gandhi]. Everything Gandhi wants, we want” (
WASHINGTON POST, 7/7). Miller added that his analysis “does not show a shortfall” (
WASHINGTON TIMES, 7/7).
