Stadium Lease Issues Resolved; Team Sold

WASHINGTON, DC-Major League Baseball has officially transferred ownership of the Washington Nationals to a group headed by Washington developer Theodore N. Lerner. The move had been delayed last week due to a possible default on a construction administration contract by the city for the planned $611-million Washington Nationals stadium.

According to a spokesperson in the DC Sports & Entertainment Commission, the letter MLB sent to the city, which was printed in a national newspaper, was much ado about nothing and the city’s lease had never been in jeopardy. “They just wanted more clarification from us on certain issues; unfortunately it was characterized as a default,” he tells GlobeSt.com. Some of the issues had to do with claims pending against the city’s use of eminent domain and because these claims haven’t been resolved yet, he says, “we couldn’t deliver all of the paperwork.”

Another source in the District of Columbia’s mayor’s office also confirms that the paperwork has been processed and the city is in no danger of default.