Washington, D.C. Major League Baseball Park Site
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
W ASHINGTON, D.C. MAJOR L EAGUE B ASEBALL P ARK S ITE E VALUATION P ROJECT S UBMITTED T O : The D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission The D.C. Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development The Washington Baseball Club, L.L.C. S UBMITTED B Y : Brailsford & Dunlavey Project Management Sports Facility Planning Project Finance Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Urban Design Heinlein Schrock Stearns Sports Architecture Jair Lynch Companies Real Estate Consulting Gorove / Slade Associates Transportation Planning Justice & Sustainability Public Outreach November 6, 2002 D.C. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PARK SITE EVALUATION PROJECT T ABLE OF C ONTENTS I NTRODUCTION E XECUTIVE S UMMARY I. WASHINGTON, D.C. IN THE 21ST C ENTURY: A DYNAMIC C ITY P RIMED FOR B ASEBALL 5 II. BASEBALL P ARK P LANNING P RINCIPLES: THE E LEMENTS OF S UCCESS IN AN U RBAN S ETTING 13 III. BASEBALL P ARK P ROGRAM: STATE OF THE A RT, TAILORED TO THE M ARKET 25 IV. SITE E VALUATION P ROCESS: COMPREHENSIVE, OPEN P LANNING A PPROACH 29 V. RECOMMENDED S ITES: FIVE U NIQUE O PPORTUNITIES FOR AN OUTSTANDING V ENUE 33 VI. PROJECT E CONOMICS: A FEASIBLE P UBLIC-PRIVATE P ARTNERSHIP 61 VII. CONCLUSION: THE T IME FOR A D IALOGUE 69 BRAILSFORD & DUNLAVEY Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects D.C. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PARK SITE EVALUATION PROJECT Image provided by Frank Ceresi, Images of Baseball in Washington, DC, www.fcassociates.com. Swampoodle Grounds, c. 1888. View of the Washington Nationals playing the Chicago White Stockings at the old Swampoodle Grounds on the site of the current Union Station. The catcher is the baseball legend Connie Mack. Image provided by Frank Ceresi, Images of Baseball in Washington, DC, www.fcassociates.com. Griffith Stadium, c. 1935. Also known as National Park and Beyer’s Seventh Street Park, Griffith Stadium was the home of the Washington Senators from 1892 through 1899 and 1903 through 1961 and of the Homestead Grays from 1937 through 1948. BRAILSFORD & DUNLAVEY Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects D.C. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PARK SITE EVALUATION PROJECT I NTRODUCTION In the Spring of 2002, the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, the D.C. Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, and the Washington Baseball Club, L.L.C. commissioned a team of consultants to conduct an evaluation of potential sites for a Major League Baseball park in the District of Columbia and to develop financing concepts for a baseball park project. The selected team, led by Brailsford & Dunlavey and Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, represented a broad range of disciplines and undertook a comprehensive planning-level analysis of the proposed baseball park development. The scope of the study included: A study of the “Best Practices” in baseball park planning; The definition of an architectural program for a baseball park in the market context of the District of Columbia and the development of a prototype ballpark concept; A survey of all possible sites within the District of Columbia of sufficient size for a baseball park; The comparative evaluation of all sites, with regard to suitability for baseball park design, transportation access, parking availability, and other factors; Development of conceptual urban designs for a baseball park and surrounding planning area for the best sites identified; The pro-active solicitation of public input and feedback on the evaluation of sites and development of urban designs; Research on costs for development of a baseball park at each of the sites, including estimates of land acquisition costs and hard and soft costs of construction; Assessment of the economics surrounding the operation of a Major League Baseball park in the District; and, The development and analysis of potential financing concepts for the baseball park. This report provides the highlights of that study. While the information contained herein is summary in nature, recommendations and estimates in all areas are based on a detailed level of analysis completed by the consultants. Nevertheless, the conceptual nature of this planning exercise has limited the degree to which complete research and analysis is possible, and where appropriate certain qualifications or exclusions are noted. BRAILSFORD & DUNLAVEY Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects 1 D.C. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PARK SITE EVALUATION PROJECT Image provided by Frank Ceresi, Images of Baseball in Washington, DC, www.fcassociates.com. The 1944 Homestead Grays. Washington’s Homestead Grays dominated Negro League baseball, winning nine league championships between 1938 and 1948. Pictured at Griffith Stadium from left to right is Jelly Jackson, Ray Battle, Edward Robinson, Sam Bankhead, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Dave Hoskins, Jerry Benjamin, and “Cool” Papa Bell. Image provided by Frank Ceresi, Images of Baseball in Washington, DC, www.fcassociates.com. The 1924 World Champion Washington Senators. After defeating the New York Giants for the World Series crown, President Calvin Coolidge hosted the hometown team at the White House. President Coolidge is flanked by manager Bucky Harris and Walter “Big Train” Johnson. BRAILSFORD & DUNLAVEY Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects 2 D.C. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PARK SITE EVALUATION PROJECT E XECUTIVE S UMMARY The D.C. Major League Baseball Park Site Evaluation Project has been completed. As components of this study, the consulting team has: Developed ten baseball park planning principles drawn from the best practices of recently completed Major League Baseball parks that highlight favorable dynamics of locating baseball parks in an urban setting; Recommended a baseball park program tailored to the Washington, D.C. market and highlighted by a 41,000 seat capacity, including 90 suites and 2,000 club seats, with 1,100 spaces of on-site parking for team and premium seat-holder use, and all of the elements considered essential to a modern baseball park; Assimilated civic and business community input received through numerous communication channels, including two televised public forums attended by over 400 interested people and in excess of 16,000 hits on a consultant website created and dedicated to the site evaluation project; Identified and presented concept plans for five attractive baseball park sites that, based on planning level analysis, will accommodate the recommended baseball park program and offer strong opportunities for a baseball park development and positive economic impact; and, Completed sufficient economic analysis to demonstrate substantial favorable prospects for financing baseball park construction through revenues arising from the return of Major League Baseball to the Nation’s Capital, while also ensuring financially successful MLB team operations. BRAILSFORD & DUNLAVEY Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects 3 D.C. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PARK SITE EVALUATION PROJECT Aerial view of Scott Circle and D.C.’s expanding Central Business District. View of the National Mall, the Kennedy Center in the upper left, and the vibrant Foggy Bottom area. BRAILSFORD & DUNLAVEY Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects 4 D.C. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PARK SITE EVALUATION PROJECT W ASHINGTON IN THE 21ST C ENTURY W ASHINGTON, D.C. IN THE 21ST C ENTURY: A DYNAMIC C ITY P RIMED FOR B ASEBALL As the southernmost link in the chain of cities that comprise the densely populated Northeast Corridor, Washington D.C. is part of the largest geographically contiguous mega-market in the United States; and yet, its proximity and ease of access to cities such as Boston, New York, and Philadelphia cannot cloud the fact that Washington, independent of any other northeastern city, is the center of one of the largest and healthiest markets in America and is regarded as one of the great cities of the world. A GENERATION OF CHANGE Major League Baseball has changed significantly since the Washington Senators left the District of Columbia in 1971. Since that time, Washington has changed dramatically as well. Once known as a sleepy government town and described jokingly as operating with “Northern charm and Southern efficiency,” Washington at the turn of the 21st Century has become a vibrant and diversified city and the hub of industries of the future. A brief review of key statistics tells the story: Since 1960, the metropolitan Washington population has more than doubled to 4.9 million and is now the fifth largest in the nation. The region is projected to surpass Philadelphia to rank fourth by 2005. The market’s $66,184 median household income has increased from $35,530 in 1970 and now ranks second in the U.S. and highest among the ten most populous markets. The market’s Effective Buying Income (or “disposable income”) at just over $57,000 is the eighth highest in the nation and the highest among the ten most populous markets. Washington’s federal government employment as a percent of total employment has steadily decreased from 40% in 1951, to 27% in 1971, and further to 11% in 2001. The Washington area’s total workforce expanded from 815,000 in 1968 to over 1.7 million in 1998, a 111% increase. Of the new jobs created during the same time period, 95% were in the private sector. Of the National Capital region’s 110 million square feet of commercial space, over 44 million square feet has been built since 1985. The Washington office market is currently the third largest in the nation. In current dollars, the District’s gross product has grown from $15 billion in 1977 to over $59 billion in 2000. The gross regional product has experienced similar growth, rising from $107 billion in 1980 to the fourth largest in the country at $280 billion. Today, approximately 22 million people visit Washington, D.C. every year for tourism and commerce, spending approximately $5.9 billion. BRAILSFORD & DUNLAVEY Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects 5 D.C. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PARK SITE EVALUATION PROJECT W ASHINGTON IN THE 21ST C ENTURY The tremendous growth of the Washington metropolitan area in the past three decades has reinforced and enhanced the District’s position as the residential and economic core of the region.