The ballpark is 18-years old.
Washington, D. C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who is leaving office in January, has decided that she wants to leave a parting gift for the owners of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals franchise. A check for upgrades at the city’s 18-year-old venue. Bowser wants to make sure it’s an MLB state-of-the-art facility. Bowser has been on a sports spending spree as of late. In March 2024, Bowser signed a deal with the National Basketball Association’s Washington Wizards franchise owner Ted Leonsis to renovate the city’s arena that houses his Wizards business along with his National Hockey League Washington Capitals franchise. The cost of that venue renovation was pegged at $800 million with the city of Washington picking up $515 million of that total.
On April 28th, 2025, Bowser announced that the city would put up $500 million in taxpayers’ money to help the National Football League’s Washington Commanders franchise owners build a stadium-village near the Capitol at the old D. C. stadium site. The stadium that opened in 1961 lasted until 2019. It hosted Major League Baseball, National Football League and Major League Soccer games. Oddly enough, Bowser said no to a proposal that would see the city put up $300 million as part of $660 renovation project of the city’s soccer stadium. The renovation would add 8,000 seats to the stadium and put a roof on the place. Additionally, a village would spring up around the stadium. Washington, D.C. city council chair Phil Mendelson plans to push ahead with the plan. Bowser’s opposition is this. She already has put money into an indoor venue and there is no reason that the city needs a second venue with a roof which would compete for events with the basketball and hockey arena. The soccer stadium is just eight years old. The Nationals’ franchise ownership just signed a new long term stadium lease deal with the city.
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