With the Capitol and the Washington Monument in the backgrounds, construction continues on the new Washington Nationals baseball stadium,
on the Anacostia River in Washington. The Nationals are expected to play ball in the new stadium next season.
Construction
The site of Nationals Ballpark was chosen by Mayor Anthony
Williams as the most viable of four possibilities for a future
ballpark. The ballpark's design was released to the public at a
press conference on March 14, 2006. Ground breaking was in
early 2006.
The ballpark will have 41,000 seats and will feature 66 suites,
all around the infield. Other amenities include the "Oval Office
bar." Team President Stan Kasten also said that the team
might sell the naming rights to the levels of the luxury suites,
which bear the names of presidents Washington, Jefferson
and Lincoln. While the city has agreed to spend up to $611
million dollars, Kasten has stated that the principal owners, the
Lerner family, are spending tens of millions of dollars more on
"jazzing up up the park."
On March 13, 2007, president of the Washington Nationals,
Stan Kasten announced that not only was the Nationals new
ballpark on schedule to be ready by Opening Day 2008, but
there would be a grove of cherry blossoms located just beyond
the left field bleachers. Kasten stated that the cherry blossoms
will provide a look that Americans only associate with the
nation's capital.
