 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
The Washington Nationals haven't drawn as many fans to their new ballpark as predicted, but District officials say the city can still meet its debt-service payments for the stadium.
A financial consultant hired by the District predicted in 2005 that the ballpark would attract an average of more than 39,000 fans per game in the first year. So far, attendance has averaged about 29,000 fans.
The District's Chief Financial Officer, Natwar Gandhi, says average attendance could drop to about 10,000 people without affecting the city's debt-service payments. He adds that ticket prices have been 20 percent higher than predicted, trimming the effect of reduced attendance.
The District is paying down the stadium debt, in part, with baseball-related sales tax revenues.
---
Information from: The Washington Examiner
NewsChannel 8 to leave comments on news stories.