Today the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation named two teams of development companies to "enter into exclusive negotiations" to develop mixed-use projects on two sites in the ballpark district. Forest City Washington (developers of Capper/Carrollsburg and the Southeast Federal Center) and Western Development Corporation (Herbert Miller's company, responsible for Potomac Mills and many other projects) lead one team, and Monument Realty LLC (which has purchased many parcels of land along N and Half Streets) and The Cordish Company LLC (developers deeply involved in the Baltimore Harbor) lead the other. What does this mean? Not as much as it sounds right now--the Forest City/Western team will be negotiating with AWC to develop the 6 acres of excess land at the WASA site on 1st Street, and Monument/Cordish will be negotiating for the 3 acres of WMATA parcels along Half Street. However, at this time AWC does not own either of these properties. The teams will be working together (coordinated by Forest City/Western) to create a Development Strategy for the entire ballpark district, which is due to the AWC in draft by March 15, 2006 and in final version by April 15, 2006. The teams have committed to provide payment to the AWC through a combination of up-front payment, annual base rent, and participation in development profits. UPDATE: Here is the mayor's office press release. UPDATE II: The Post's web site now has its story about the announcement. UPDATE III: And here is the AWC's press release. UPDATE IV: Here is the Baltimore Sun's Cordish-centric story.

"True Costs Of Stadium Go Beyond Budget" from Sunday's Post gives a history of how the stadium went from a $435 million project to a (possibly) $714 million project.

For your reading pleasure this weekend, here's the stadium lease agreement and attachments. It's 108 pages (and a 5.5 MB PDF), so go wild! And if you want to become preeminently qualified in team and stadium minutiae, here's the original contract between the city and MLB that brought the Nats to town, from September 2004. (It's this contract that requires the lease agreement that's now being fought over.)

WTOP is reporting: "[T]he lease for a new baseball stadium has been completed and agreed to by baseball commissioner Bud Selig. Included in the lease is a commitment from Major League Baseball to keep the Nationals in D.C. for 30 years. Also included in the lease - $20 million from baseball toward construction costs. Hall, who is a lead negotiator for the city, says the lease will also provide D.C. a 2/3 share of parking revenues at the stadium on non-game days. The other 1/3 will go to MLB. The Sports and Entertainment Commission will present the lease to the D.C. City Council Friday. A public hearing is scheduled for Dec. 16 and the council will vote on the lease Dec. 20. Seven of the the 13 members of the council must vote to approve the lease. D.C. Mayor Tony Williams has acknowledged that council approval of the lease is uncertain at this point." UPDATE: The AP has confirmed this, saying that a copy of the lease was delivered to the council around noon. UPDATE II: Here is Mayor Williams's statement on the agreement, which also includes more details on the lease. Let's remember, though, this still has to be passed by the council.... UPDATE III: The Post has a story up about the agreement--the version for Saturday's print edition fleshes out the various pieces of news of the day, without a few small additional tidbits: MLB is expected to name a new owner shortly after the lease is approved (if it is approved!); CFO Gandhi will give a cost estimate update to the council on Monday; and Mayor Williams has signed off on the final design for the stadium, and it should be unveiled also shortly after the lease is approved. Then the next rush will be on, to get zoning approval and fight any other opposition to the stadium so that shovels can go in the ground in the spring, to get construction completed by March 2008. The WashTimes's story is similar.