Nationals Park Set To Open Sunday; Draws Mixed Reviews
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Nationals Park To Open Sunday
Night With Game Against Braves |
Nationals Park, which will host its first regular-season MLB game Sunday night, "mediates between contemporary and nostalgic stadium architecture without delivering a real 'wow,'" according to architectural writer Deborah Dietsch in a special Nationals Park preview section for the WASHINGTON TIMES. The ballpark "tries to be sleekly modern in its exposed steel structure, metal panels and glass bays, but doesn't quite break with the past." This middle ground "provides no iconic, stirring symbol of [DC] or baseball." The "lack of a fresh, exhilarating design is disappointing, but perhaps it couldn't be avoided," as ballpark architect HOK Sport has designed 10 of the last 14 constructed MLB venues. Dietsch notes the designers also "made an effort to introduce stores, restaurants, windows and gated openings around the stadium to reduce its apparent mass and activate the building during the offseason." But the inside of the 41,888-seat ballpark is a "happier story than the outside," and "throughout the interior, the feeling is more open than Camden Yards." The ballpark ramps offer city and riverfront views and lead to "spacious, no-frills concourses," while concession stands "allow unobstructed views of the field from the concourses" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 3/27).
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU: A WASHINGTON POST editorial is written under the header, "Headed For Home. Washington's New Baseball Stadium Will Debut On Time And Within Budget." The editorial states the "state-of-the-art facility is a beauty -- though we suspect that fans will engage in recurring debate over the virtues of its sleek concrete vs. the classic red brick made popular" by Camden Yards (WASHINGTON POST, 3/27). Nationals Owner Mark Lerner indicated that the scoreboard in right field is the ballpark's "distinctive feature." DC Sports & Entertainment Commission Vice Chair Bill Hall: "What I like about it is the intimacy." Nationals President Stan Kasten added, "My favorite part is that there are so many different things, different nooks and different ways to appeal to different people" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 3/27).
OUTSIDE THE GATES: In DC, Tim Lemke writes getting to the ballpark "looks like it won't be easy, and there won't be much to do in the neighborhood this season except watch the game." Near the stadium, there is a Five Guys, a Subway, a Starbucks, a "smattering of liquor stores and take-out restaurants," but "that's about it." Lemke: "The problem is made worse by a dearth of parking and a road system that's not car friendly." Kasten: "It would be very foolish to come into this part of town and look for street parking. You have no hope of achieving that before the games" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 3/27).
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Nationals Sell Sponsorship Of
Racing Presidents To Geico |
CASH FLOW: In a separate piece, Lemke writes with a "favorable stadium deal and strong interest from sponsors, the team should find itself among the more financially stout teams in baseball." Estimates indicate that the Nationals are "expected to boost revenue by as much" as $50M. Ticket prices are about 20% higher than for the '07 season at RFK Stadium, and recent trends with new MLB ballparks "suggests that attendance at Nationals game will increase" from 24,000 a game last year to between 30,000-35,000 this season. The Nationals already have landed "multimillion-dollar deals with PNC Bank, which will sponsor the Diamond Club seats behind home plate, and Geico, which will sponsor the 'Racing Presidents' characters." Kasten said, "Some sponsors are waiting to see traffic and how people move and what they like and where they want to hang out." Kasten added, "All sponsorships were new starting this year. Usually I have 30[%] of my inventory turn over. This year I have 100[%]." Additionally, industry sources said that the Nationals deal with stadium concessionaire Centerplate "could be one of the most lucrative in baseball, giving the team more than 50[%] of regular concession revenue plus a share of any money taken in from catering." Lemke notes the Nationals will pay about $5M annually in rent but "will carry no debt related to the construction" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 3/27).
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