WASHINGTON — The Potomac Nationals could finally be closer to a long-planned new stadium just off Interstate 95.
The Prince William County Board of Supervisors held another closed session on the issue last week, and newly public documents suggest a deal is again taking shape to build a $40 million-plus stadium and a $21 million parking garage that could double as a park-and-ride.
The P-Nats have said for each of the past several years that they were close to being able to start construction on a stadium behind the Wegmans and apartments at Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center, which is east of I-95 in Woodbridge, just south of Potomac Mills and north of Freedom High School.
The new stadium for the Nationals’ Class A Advanced affiliate would be about seven miles from Pfitzner Stadium, which is off the Prince William Parkway. The county is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep Pfitzner Stadium up to the standard that Minor League Baseball and the Nationals say they need.
Now, documents obtained through a public records request by InsideNova show some details of the discussions among county officials, the team and the developer of the potential stadium site.
The letters suggest that under the latest version of the deal, the county would raise $35 million in municipal bonds for stadium construction and would lease the land for about $450,000 per year. The team would then sign a long-term stadium lease with the county that would cover debt service and land rent costs.
The proposal also includes $7 million from the county to prepare the stadium site and a 1,400-space parking garage next to the stadium that would be funded separately and cost at least $21 million more. A significant portion of funding for the garage could come through the state, since it would be used as a park-and-ride, but that funding has not been nailed down.
If the deal progresses, there could be an announcement at some point next year.
