The
Washington City Paper is reporting that there was a press conference and tour at
the ballpark today (my invitation must have gotten lost in the mail), given by Council Member Kwame Brown and the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission, with a smidgen of news about the construction itself (sod expected to be laid down the first week in November), but mainly to address the
recent stories about the amount of high-level "journeyman" work being given to DC residents. The project labor agreement specified that 51 percent of these jobs should go to DC residents; speakers at today's event put the number at 28 or 29 percent. As mentioned in previous stories, "The essential problem is that there aren't enough skilled D.C. resident workers available to fill the jobs. If a subcontractor doesn't have a D.C. resident to do a job, it can contact the city's Department of Employment Services. If DOES has no workers, then the subcontractor can hire whoever." They did say that DC residents have worked 78 percent of all of the available apprentice hours, which could mean more experienced workers down the road for other city projects.
UPDATE: Tim Lemke of the WashTimes
was on the same tour, and gives an update on the construction progress, beyond just the grass: "The bulk of the structure, including two parking garages on site, is nearly fully erected. Stadium workers have been installing seats in the ballpark at a rate of 1,800 to 2,000 a week, with all expected to be in place by the end of the month. Much work remains on the inside portions of the ballpark, though the clubhouses are nearly complete and the concession stand and restaurant areas are taking shape. The biggest remaining challenges, Haas said, will be completing site work on the outer edge of the stadium, such as sidewalks and plazas. Installing the electrical system for the ballpark's massive scoreboard also will pose a challenge because of the complexity of the job."