Nationals Park dispute with DC could threaten concerts, other events

If no deal is reached, the dispute could threaten games, concerts and other events scheduled to be held at the ballpark.

Nationals Park brings growth, worries to Southeast Washington

Instead of the original development, Events DC has proposed to finish a considerably smaller, 17,000-square-foot structure that’s already attached to the ballpark at First Street SE and Potomac Avenue SE as retail-only space.

“Events DC and the Washington Nationals are eager to move forward with the build out of the existing retail space and provide more options to the now vibrant Capitol Riverfront community,” Events DC spokeswoman Christy Goodman wrote in an email.

At the heart of the holdup is a routine piece of paper that businesses must have to operate. The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, in a maneuver upping the pressure on Events DC to follow through on its promised development, has said it will not renew the temporary certificate of occupancy the ballpark has used to operate since Opening Day in March 2008.

That certificate is set to expire Sept. 30, according to the Washington Business Journal, which first reported the snafu. The Nationals’ final home game of the season is scheduled for Oct. 2.

In the shadow of Nationals Park, longtime residents face threats beyond gunfire

DCRA spokesman Daniel Weaver said a statement from the agency was forthcoming.

The Nationals did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The dispute comes near the end of a dispiriting season for the Nationals, and amid growing uncertainty about the real estate market. Earlier this year, three seasons removed from a triumphant World Series title, the Lerner family put the team up for sale, saying they hoped to receive initial bids before the last out of the regular season. At least five interested parties, including a mortgage mogul and a South Korean billionaire, have explored a purchase, The Post reported last month.

But Events DC, a company that calls itself “the premier host of conventions, entertainment, sporting and cultural events in the nation’s capital,” is the owner of Nationals Park itself, in addition to city venues such as the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and RFK Stadium. The $611 million ballpark welcomed baseball back to the District with a walk-off win on March 30, 2008.

From 2006: For the Stadium, It’s Decision Time

In its public filings with the D.C. Zoning Commission, Events DC asked to be released from the agreement it made before that debut to build the full 46,000 square…