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PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TESTIMONY TO
D.C. SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT COMMISSION
GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN, COUNCILMEMBERS, AND STAFF. WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY TO THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE AND REVENUE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE D.C. SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT COMMISSION. I AM BOBBY GOLDWATER, PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COMMISSION. AS YOU KNOW, I'M JOINED TODAY BY TWO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN STAUNCH, ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORTERS OF BRINGING BASEBALL BACK TO THE DISTRICT, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMISSION'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS, JOHN RICHARDSON, AND A BOARD MEMBER WHO HAS WORKED ON THIS EFFORT THE LONGEST, BILL HALL. MR. CHAIRMAN, THE DISTRICT, THE ENTIRE WASHINGTON MARKET AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK HERE HAVE COME TO A MOMENT IN TIME THAT HAS ELUDED US FOR OVER 30 YEARS - A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO BRING MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL BACK TO WASHINGTON, D.C. OVER THE YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN EXTRAORDINARY EFFORTS TO RESTORE THE NATIONAL PASTIME IN THE CITY WHERE IT HAS ALWAYS BELONGED - HERE IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL - BY SOME OF THIS AREA'S MOST PROUD ADVOCATES AND CIVIC-MINDED LEADERS, INCLUDING MANY COUNCILMEMBERS AND OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM TODAY. THERE IS A MOMENTUM, AN ENERGY, AN ANTICIPATION - YOU CAN FEEL IT ALL OVER THE CITY -- THAT, FINALLY, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL COULD ACKNOWLEDGE THIS SUMMER WHAT EVERYONE HERE AND SO MANY OTHERS AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE KNOWN FOR SO LONG INDISPUTABLY, THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE FOR A RELOCATED BASEBALL TEAM THAN WASHINGTON, D.C. THE DISTRICT HAS MADE A COMPELLING CASE FOR THE RETURN OF BASEBALL - A CLEAR, CONFIDENT, CAPABLE, CAN-DO CASE BASED ON A SOLID BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC FOUNDATION ON WHICH A PARTNERSHIP CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AND THE DISTRICT, THE HEART OF THE FIFTH LARGEST MARKET IN THE COUNTRY. WE HAVE PROVIDED FACTS AND FIGURES, STUDIES AND STATISTICS. WE'VE SPOKEN OF HISTORICAL MEMORIES FROM DC'S HONORED BASEBALL PAST AND OF HISTORY-MAKING POSSIBILITIES FOR DC'S PROMISING BASEBALL FUTURE. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED VIABLE, VISIONARY SITES AND A FEASIBLE FINANCING FORMULA FOR A BALLPARK. A BALLPARK THAT WE CAN SEE BEING A NEW WASHINGTON MONUMENT, ONE THAT WILL CELEBRATE AMERICA'S SPORT IN AMERICA'S HOMETOWN. WE HAVE WORKED AND WAITED IN ANTICIPATION FOR OUR TIME TO COME AND WE BELIEVE OUR TIME IS ABOUT TO ARRIVE. AND THERE IS STILL MUCH TO DO. NOW IT IS TIME TO TURN TO THE COUNCIL TO TAKE OUR COLLECTIVE NEXT STEP. AS WAS ARTICULATED IN THE DEPUTY MAYOR'S PRESENTATION, THE LEGISLATION THAT IS BEING CONSIDERED BY THIS COMMITTEE WILL PROVIDE THE NECESSARY FUEL FOR THE ENGINE THAT WILL ULTIMATELY PROPEL US TO SUCCESS - THE ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY AND SUBSTANTIVELY NEGOTIATE WITH MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. IN THAT SPIRIT, WE JOIN IN ASKING THE COMMITTEE AND THE FULL COUNCIL TO SUPPORT AND PASS THE BALLPARK REVENUE AMENDMENT ACT OF 2003. ON PAST OCCASIONS, WE HAVE TESTIFIED TO THE COMMISSION'S OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND WE HAVE MET WITH COUNCILMEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY TO DISCUSS THE STATUS OF THE BASEBALL EFFORT. WE HAVE APPRECIATED COUNCILMEMBERS' CONTINUED INTEREST, ENTHUSIASM, GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL'S CONCERN AND CARE TO ASSESS AND ENSURE THAT THE RETURN OF BASEBALL TO THE DISTRICT WILL BE A SOUND INVESTMENT AND GOOD FOR THE CITY. WITH EVERYONE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED. THE DEPUTY MAYOR HAS ALREADY REVIEWED FOR YOU OUR RECENT MILESTONE DATES AND EVENTS, INCLUDING OUR WELL-RECEIVED PRESENTATION TO MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL'S RELOCATION COMMITTEE IN MARCH. WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT THE RELOCATION COMMITTEE REMAINS FOCUSED ON MAKING A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE FUTURE OF THE MONTREAL EXPOS BY NEXT MONTH'S ALL-STAR GAME AND TO RELOCATE THE EXPOS IN TIME FOR THE 2004 SEASON. WE HAVE ALL BEEN WORKING WITH THAT GOAL IN MIND. WE HAVE INFORMED THE RELOCATION COMMITTEE THAT THE DISTRICT IS READY AND PREPARED TO MEET AT ANY TIME TO DISCUSS BASEBALL IN DC.
THERE ARE ANY NUMBER OF EXAMPLES TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WE ARE READY AND PREPARED FOR THE RETURN OF MAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALL. FROM LAST YEAR'S BALLPARK SITE EVALUATION PROJECT TO LAST MONDAY'S BASEBALL BLOCK PARTY, THE DISTRICT HAS HAD AN
OPEN, INCLUSIVE PUBLIC PROCESS THAT HAS ENCOURAGED DIALOGUE, INPUT AND PARTICIPATION, MORE OF WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE
THROUGHOUT THIS HEARING. AS PART OF THIS CONTINUING INTERACTION, IT IS OUR HOPE THAT CITIZENS IN ATTENDANCE TODAY
AND WATCHING ON TELEVISION WILL COME AWAY FROM THIS HEARING WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE LEGISLATION BEING CONSIDERED IS
DESIGNED TO PUT IN PLACE THE STRUCTURE TO CREATE REVENUE RESOURCES TO FUND A NEW BALLPARK THAT WILL EXIST ONLY WITH
THE RETURN OF BASEBALL TO THE DISTRICT AND NOT DRAWING ON RESOURCES ALREADY COMMITTED TO CITY SERVICES. IT IS ALSO OUR
HOPE THAT ALL TOPICS AND ISSUES ARE FULLY EXPLORED AND DISCUSSED SO THAT, AT THE END OF THIS PROCESS, THE COUNCIL WE ALSO ARE READY AND PREPARED TO WELCOME BACK BASEBALL AS EARLY AS NEXT SEASON BECAUSE RFK STADIUM IS READY TO SERVE AS AN INTERIM VENUE. AS WE HAVE REPORTED TO THE COUNCIL ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, THE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT COMMISSION HAS TAKEN THE STEPS NECESSARY TO REJUVENATE AND REFRESH RFK THROUGH A SERIES OF PROJECTS IN WHICH PRUDENT INVESTMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE. TODAY, RFK IS IN ITS BEST PHYSICAL AND OPERATIONAL CONDITION IN YEARS. EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE COMMISSION, WORKING WITH HNTB, ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S LEADING SPORTS FACILITY ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS WITH A STAFF HERE IN THE DISTRICT, AND OTHERS, COMPLETED A FULL STADIUM ASSESSMENT WHICH WAS REPORTED AS PART OF THE DISTRICT'S PRESENTATION TO THE RELOCATION COMMITTEE AND TO COUNCILMEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC. THIS ASSESSMENT INCLUDED PRIORITIZING THE LIST OF ELEMENTS SPECIFIC TO MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL THAT WILL NEED TO BE DONE AND DEVELOPING A TIMELINE AND A BUDGET FOR THE ANTICIPATED OR REQUIRED WORK. ONCE THE PROUD HOME OF THE WASHINGTON SENATORS, RFK IS POISED TO SERVE A DC BASEBALL HOME TEAM AND ITS FANS ONCE AGAIN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME WHILE A NEW, STATE-OF-THE-ART, 21ST CENTURY BALLPARK IS BEING BUILT. THE EFFORT TO BRING MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL BACK TO WASHINGTON, D.C. IS, FIRST, A BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENDEAVOR, TO BE SURE. THERE IS EVERY EXPECTATION THAT A BASEBALL TEAM CAN PROSPER HERE AND THAT THE CITY WILL DERIVE TREMENDOUS BENEFITS, AS SHOWN IN THE DEPUTY MAYOR'S PRESENTATION. AS MANY PEOPLE ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT HAVE EMPHASIZED TO PEOPLE INSIDE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, BASEBALL ITSELF HAS IDENTIFIED THAT THE BEST PLACE TO BUILD A BALLPARK TO GIVE A TEAM THE BEST CHANCE TO SUCCEED IS WHERE PEOPLE ARE OR WHERE PEOPLE LIKE TO COME - A CITY SETTING. AND, ESPECIALLY, THIS CITY IN THIS JEWEL MARKET. WITH 12 MILLION VISITORS COMING TO THE DISTRICT DURING THE BASEBALL SEASON ADDED TO OUR MARKET'S POPULATION OF OVER FIVE MILLION PEOPLE PLUS THE REALITY THAT THE DISTRICT IS THE HUB OF THE REGION'S TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AND BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THIS IS MORE THAN A VISION OF A FIELD OF DREAMS -- "IF WE BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME;" OUR CALL SHOULD BE "THEY DO COME AND WE CAN BUILD IT." IN ADDITION TO OUR BALLPARK BEING A MONUMENT TO BASEBALL AND AN ECONOMIC DRIVER, A MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM HERE IN DC CAN INSPIRE MUCH MORE. IT CAN INSPIRE KIDS, THROUGH EXPLOITS AND GREAT PERFORMANCES OF THE PLAYERS ON THE FIELD AND THROUGH JOBS AND ENRICHING OPPORTUNITIES IN TEAM AND FACILITY MANAGEMENT -- AT ALL LEVELS -- OFF THE FIELD. BASEBALL HAS BEEN PROVIDING HEROES AND HEROICS TO GENERATIONS OF FANS IN CITIES THROUGHOUT THE NATION. IT'S TIME FOR THE NATIONAL PASTIME TO BRING THOSE HEROES AND HEROICS HOME TO THE NATION'S CAPITAL. AS THE MAYOR AND CHAIRMAN CROPP ELOQUENTLY HIGHLIGHTED TO THE RELOCATION COMMITTEE AT OUR FIRST MEETING IN NEW YORK AND AT OUR PRESENTATION IN PHOENIX, WHEN THIS CITY PUTS ITS ENERGIES AND RESOURCES BEHIND A PROJECT, THINGS GET DONE. THE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT COMMISSION, THE MAYOR AND HIS STAFF, COUNCILMEMBERS, BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS, THE WASHINGTON BASEBALL CLUB AND SO MANY OTHERS HAVE BEEN EXTOLLING THE UNPARALLELED COMBINATION OF POSITIVES AND BENEFITS THAT ARE READY AND WAITING FOR MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL HERE IN DC. EVERYONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE EFFORT TO RETURN BASEBALL TO THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN FAITHFUL IN FOLLOWING GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND BEST PRACTICES TO DETERMINE A RESPONSIBLE COURSE TO ACHIEVE OUR LONG-TIME OBJECTIVE. WITH ALL THAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN THIS CITY AND ALL OF THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS TO BRING BASEBALL BACK, THERE IS FINALLY A REASON TO COME TO THE COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION THAT WILL PUT IN PLACE THE NECESSARY STRUCTURE THAT WILL ALLOW THE DISTRICT TO BUILD A PARTNERSHIP AND FULFILL A DREAM. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STAFF OF THE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT COMMISSION HAVE BEEN PROUD TO BE A COLLECTIVE MEMBER OF THE TEAM THAT HAS BROUGHT THE DISTRICT TO THIS PERIOD OF OPPORTUNITY, THIS MOMENT IN TIME THAT WE BELIEVE IS UPON US. BASEBALL COULD BE BACK AS EARLY AS NEXT SEASON. WE ASK THAT THE COMMITTEE AND THE COUNCIL KEEP THIS SPIRITED MISSION ON COURSE WITH PASSAGE OF THE BALLPARK REVENUE AMENDMENT ACT OF 2003. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. |
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