Baseball stadium

Entirely predictable:

Top District officials discussed new estimates for a baseball stadium project along the Anacostia River in Southeast Washington yesterday and determined that costs could reach more than $700 million, which is more than $100 million beyond the previous forecast of the city's chief financial officer.

Officials stressed that the new estimates are preliminary and take into account all potential costs, including $41 million for underground parking, $20 million to upgrade the Navy Yard Metro station and $12 million to rebuild nearby roads. They added that some of the work might not have to be paid for by the city or done at all.

The original estimate was $589 million, and officials insist that they'll "build a gem of a ballpark on time and on budget." If anyone believes that then I'll be happy to sell them a tropical vacation getaway to Canada.

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Meanwhile, in a sign of the city's priorities officials are scratching their heads over how to come up with $1 billion needed for public school renovations and repairs. In fairness, I do have faith that if the money is appropriated that a stadium will be built at some point. It may be overbudget, but it will get done. If $1 billion is appropriated for schools it's anyone's guess where the money will end up going.

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Update: This site is all over the story.