Nationals Ballpark, the planned new ballpark for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball, is projected to open in April 2008. It will be located along the Anacostia River in southeast Washington, D.C., and will replace the Nationals' current ballpark, RFK Stadium. The new ballpark is being designed by HOK Sport, will seat 41,000 visitors, and is projected to cost at least States dollar|$" target="_blank" >^*611 million . It will sit across the river from the D.C. United's proposed soccer-specific stadium. The site is Metro-accessible via the Navy Yard station.

Financing and controversy

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Financing for the stadium is expected to be provided by a banking syndicate led by Deutsche Bank. However, finalization of the financing deal, as of December 2005, is stalled due to complex negotiations between the city government, MLB as owner of the team, and the bank. The bank is requesting a letter of credit or comparable financial guarantee against stadium rent to cover risks such as poor attendance or terrorism. The requested guarantee is $24 million, $6 million for each of the four years of stadium construction. The city has requested that MLB provide the guarantee. MLB in turn has delayed the sale of the team to an owner until the stadium financing deal is completed.

Construction

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The site of Nationals Ballpark was chosen by Mayor Anthony Williams as the most viable of four possibilities for a future ballpark. Negotiations with residents and businesses to acquire the necessary land have begun. The ballpark's design was released to the public at a press conference on March 14 2006.

References

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1. New ballpark design unveiled - Washington Nationals news
2. Nationals Ballpark page on Ballparks.com
3. Nationals Ballpark page on jdland.com

Major League Baseball venues | Sports venues in Washington, D.C. | Planned or proposed stadiums