Norton at Groundbreaking for Fort Dupont Youth Baseball Academy

Norton at Groundbreaking for Fort Dupont Youth Baseball Academy, After Federal Land is Transferred to the District

WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will deliver remarks on Tuesday, May 31, at 11:30 a.m. during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy in Fort Dupont Park. Norton played an essential role in negotiations between the city and the National Park Service (NPS) to get the federal land for the baseball academy transferred to D.C. The land transfer also allowed for the expansion of the Fort Dupont Ice Arena, which provides free figure skating and hockey lessons to disadvantaged youth.

The Congresswoman will join D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, Washington Nationals Dream Foundation Chair Marla Tanenbaum, NPS Director John Jarvis, and other elected officials at the event.

"Mayor Vincent Gray conceived the idea of a baseball academy for our kids when he was on the Council and saw the new ballpark here as an opportunity to spark greater interest in the game he played growing up in D.C," said Norton. "I am happy that the years of planning and negotiations now have brought us closer to providing underserved children a place to not only participate in America's favorite pastime, but to also develop the teamwork skills that will benefit them for a lifetime."

Construction of the academy was made possible by a federal, local, and private agreement, where by NPS transferred ownership of several acres of land at Fort Dupont Park to the District, the District provided $10.2 million in construction funds, and the Washington Nationals donated $3.5 million for construction and operating costs and agreed to manage the academy year-round.

Last June, the National Capital Planning Commission approved the transfer of 15 acres of federal parkland from NPS to the District to build the youth baseball academy.