The new year-round venue will include a restaurant, bar and lounge area, screen wall and performance areaEMILY VAN ZANDT
The Nationals will "build a 35,000-square-foot restaurant and entertainment venue at Nationals Park under a deal approved" by Events DC, the city's sports and conventions authority, according to Rebecca Cooper of the WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL. The new "year-round venue -- which will include a restaurant, bar and lounge area, screen wall, performance area and rooftop terrace -- sounds awfully similar to the mystery project" Monumental Sports & Entertainment said it would open at Capital One Arena. Events DC, which owns Nationals Park, will contribute $3.6M to the development of the retail space, though the deal "still must be approved" by the city council. The new venue is expected to generate about $22.7M in revenue per year for the Nationals. The team will "lead the development and entitlements for the venue, and Events DC's contribution will be paid at certain milestones pre-construction." The deal "appears to have come out of some differing opinions" between Events DC and the Nationals on "exactly who has the right to develop the retail space" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/30).
