Following Major League Baseball’s return to the nation’s capital, the city worked with the Washington Nationals to develop a permanent home that would attract a new fan base and stimulate development near the District’s waterfront.

The DC Sports & Entertainment Commission (now Events DC) first partnered with B&D to evaluate potential sites and financing plans for the ballpark. After studying more than 30 sites—including the development of a detailed operating pro forma—B&D recommended a feasible plan that relied on various tax revenues and increments as well as capital from the ownership group.

The District went with the recommendation of developing the ballpark in the neglected yet metro-accessible Navy Yard neighborhood. Over the 22-month construction period, B&D managed the design and construction process, securing zoning and public approvals, negotiating with the builder, and championing sustainability, ADA, and economic inclusion goals.

Nationals Park opened on time and on budget in 2008, when a sold-out crowd and a nationally televised audience watched the Nationals win their first regular season game. The project has since received numerous industry honors, and the ballpark has become an anchor for development and economic growth along the city’s waterfront.

A decade after opening, the Nationals became World Series champions.