From the AP: "Officials from the District and Major League Baseball worked late Thursday hammering out negotiations for a lease on a Nationals baseball stadium. [...] Williams has said he hopes to have something top present to the council Friday. That's the deadline to schedule a vote on Feb. 7. But Williams spokesman Vince Morris says even if there's no deal by then, officials could try for a deal by next Friday and a Feb. 14 vote."

From a news release this morning: "The South Capitol Ballpark Coalition -- an ad-hoc coalition of area businesses, community organizations and the Washington Nationals Baseball Club -- began a campaign today to educate District residents on the benefits of a new South Capitol Street baseball stadium and surrounding development projects in anticipation of the upcoming DC City Council vote. The campaign, which includes radio ads and mailings, will urge residents to contact the City Council and ask them to vote "yes" on the new stadium deal." The South Capitol Ballpark Coalition includes: Washington Nationals Baseball Club; District of Columbia Building Industry Association; Monument Realty, Western Development Corporation; DC Convention and Tourism Corporation and The Board of Trade; Forest City Enterprises; the Restaurant Association of Greater Washington.

The AP is reporting: "D-C Mayor Anthony Williams says one way or another on Friday his staff will submit a reworked baseball stadium plan to the D-C Council. He says "in order to have it done, in the time we need it done, we need to have it in by Friday." He says "then we're going to continue to work on the votes." Williams says he believes the various sides have addressed key points cited by some council members. He says he believes they've made progress on such issues as cost, benefit to the community and development rights. Williams says he can't wait to have the stadium matter settled "so we can get it built and produce all the benefits that I think it will." UPDATE, 3:37 pm: An expanded AP story says that the mayor is still working to get the seven votes needed for passage, but that mediation between the District and Major League Baseball has helped clear up key points cited by concerned City Council members, and that the new deal provides cost control on both the stadium and the land.

The Post has posted on its web site "D.C. Could Force Out Property Owners For Stadium", which says: "The District government has asked a Superior Court judge for permission to force property owners to vacate about 14 acres of land near the Anacostia River by Feb. 7 so the city can begin construction of a new baseball stadium, arguing that any delays could set back the project. In a court filing last Friday, city attorneys said construction must begin soon to complete the stadium by March 2008, as required in the agreement with Major League Baseball." The article goes on to explain the eminent domain process, and that the city has done this even though Ye Olde Stadium Lease Agreement still hasn't been approved. UPDATE: The WashTimes's story says many of the same things; it also says: "Meanwhile, the Anacostia Waterfront Corp., which was created by the city to direct waterfront-development efforts, is working with developers on a plan to cap the cost of acquiring the 26 acres of land at the ballpark site. Under the plan, the city would direct any revenue from development on the ballpark site toward [land] cost overruns."

Remember a few months back when the biggest question mark about the new baseball stadium was what it was going to look like? (We were so much younger then.) Saturday's Post reveals: "District government officials are modifying the architectural design of a new baseball stadium, relying less heavily on glass as a key exterior feature, to reduce costs and win approval for a lease agreement from the D.C. Council. The changes are intended to save tens of millions of dollars and limit the potential for cost overruns, said sources with knowledge of the discussions." The article also explains that the city is working on a proposed "guaranteed maximum price" contract with the stadium's builders, Clark/Hunt/Smoot A Joint Venture, where "the city would relinquish control of the design and construction of the stadium to construction companies, which in turn would guarantee that the price of the labor and materials for the ballpark would not exceed $300 million." And the clock ticks on, as an agreement must legally be submitted to the council by Jan. 27 in order to get a vote on Feb. 7. So this next week should be fun.

Meanwhile, Saturday's WashTimes goes with: "Council meets with mediator": "Members of the D.C. Council met yesterday with the mediator selected to help end a dispute over the lease for the Washington Nationals' new ballpark in Southeast, and council chairman Linda Cropp followed by providing Mayor Anthony Williams a revised proposal that she said will ensure a positive council vote." What does the letter say? "Cropp outlined 12 provisions requested by council members, who said they will not vote in favor of the stadium lease until the changes are made. The new proposal is similar to one presented last week, in that it calls for a cap on how much the city will contribute to the ballpark. The new letter clarifies that the city should pay no more than the $535 million being borrowed for the project, plus a $20 million contribution from Major League Baseball, $37 million raised from baseball activities in 2005 and $39 million in interest and bond premium. The new letter requests more community benefits, including a new baseball academy in the District, and more appearances by players. It also calls for assurances that the Nationals cannot terminate the lease simply by refusing to pay rent." The story also has some back-and-forth about whether the council should have been included in the lease negotiations from the beginning.

The Washington Blade reports in "Gay groups debate future of O Street gay night clubs" on responses within the gay community to a bill introduced by Jim Graham that "amends the Alcohol Beverage Control Board's licensing regulations to allow nude-dancing permit holders in the stadium's wake a one-time zoning transfer to any commercial zone. Current zoning laws allow the permit-holders only to move to the central business district." The bill will be the subject of a council roundtable on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

NBC4 reports that Linda Cropp is still worried about cost overruns on the stadium, and is sending another letter to Mayor Williams about what it will take to secure a majority vote for the stadium lease agreement. The article also outlines a few dates that need to be met if the council is going to vote on the lease at its next session, on Feb. 7.  UPDATE: I missed this Thursday WashTimes article, "Stadium concessions, consensus elusive", discussing how it appears that Carol Schwartz is the only council member who has said there's any room to negotiate. And also from the Thursday WashTimes, "Mayor hit for playing on the road", about how some council members are slamming Mayor Williams for being out of town during negotiations.

The city and MLB have picked former Detroit mayor Dennis Archer to act as mediator to help get the lease agreement back on track, reports the Washington Business Journal. UPDATE: Here is the Washington Post's piece on Archer, "Williams Political Ally is Stadium Mediator," and the WashTimes weighs in with "District Turns to Stadium Mediator."