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Parking at RFK no done deal; D.C. United moves forward
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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Summer nights could get crowded at RFK Stadium’s parking lots unless a brewing conflict is resolved between D.C. United and the Washington Nationals over who has priority to park there on game days.
The District and the Nationals are discussing the use of RFK Stadium parking lots for game days in 2008, when Major League Baseball is supposed to be played at a new ballpark two miles away.
But D.C. United is going forward with its plans at RFK once the baseball team has vacated.
“We’ll conduct our scheduling process in December as if they will not be here,” said Dave Kasper, United’s general manager.
The Nationals’ announced Tuesday that non-season ticket holders will have free parking at RFK and shuttle service to and from the new South Capital Street ballpark. D.C. officials, however, said otherwise.
“We had not finalized an agreement so I was surprised when I saw the press release,” said Gregory O’Dell, D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission chief executive officer. “We’ve exchanged proposals.”
The odd team out in these discussions appears to be United. The Major League Soccer team expects to have RFK and its lots to itself in 2008, but the city is hinting otherwise — perhaps hedging its bets in case the construction schedule goes awry. With both the Nationals and United drawing 20,000 fans or more, there’s likely not enough parking to satisfy both in the case of a game day conflict.
“There’s no secret, in the unlikely scenario we’re not ready for baseball we have to make arrangements to play at RFK,” O’Dell said.
In the immediate future is the MLS Cup, the nationally televised championship game to be played Nov. 18 at RFK. Although the Nationals’ are expected to move into their new stadium come April, the sports commission will not authorize removal of RFK’s view-obstructing foul poles before next month, O’Dell said.
RFK’s field and stands are soccer ready, O’Dell said. And there are plans to take the poles down, but he would not say when.
The foul poles are more an issue for Major League Soccer than for the team, said Stephen Zack, D.C. United executive vice president.
“Certainly we prefer not to have foul poles that aren’t necessary, but obviously the city has an issue they have to deal with so we are being amenable, as we have been,” he said.
mneibauer@dcexaminer.com
cstouffer@dcexaminer.com
