A long-time dispute, spanning 14 years, between the District of Columbia and Events DC which operates the Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. has been temporarily settled by an extension of a temporary permit to operate live events through the end of 2023. Opened in 2008, the stadium was operating under a temporary license for live events, and was on the verge of being shut down by the The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs’ (DCRA), the city’s regulatory agency.

The stadium is now allowed to continue hosting live events through the end of 2023, and hopes to work out a permanant arrangement with the city before that expires.

The story started back in 2008 when Events DC made an agreement with the District, promising that it was going to undertake the development of 46,000 square feet of space for shops, services, entertainment, and art around the Nationals Park. Events DC didn’t put it into practice throughout those years showing the 2008 recession and the pandemic as reasons. In order to keep the stadium open, DCRA continued issuing temporary occupancy permits to keep the Washington National’s home stadium operating legally.

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In a statement released by DCRA, Events DC, as a sign of good faith, was requested to file an application with the Zoning Commission to modify the Planned Unit Development agreement. The current certificate was set to expire September 30, but District regulators said they would extend it through the end of 2023 in order to give the Zoning Commission plenty of time to review the new proposal.

The statement read: “For 16 years, compliance with the agreement has been avoided by applying for Conditional Certificates of Occupancy. At this time, with no immediate construction occurring, a permanent solution is sought so that a permanent Certificates of Occupancy may be issued. Earlier this summer, DCRA requested that Events DC, as a sign of good faith, file an application with the Zoning Commission to modify the Planned Unit Development agreement.”

“As Events DC has followed through on the filing request, DCRA will issue another Conditional Certificates of Occupancy which will expire on December 31, 2023 to allow time for the Zoning Commission to issue a ruling, and or for Events DC to submit any construction plans for review and approval.” It followed.

Events DC spokeswoman Christy Goodman wrote to Washington Post in an email, stating that Events DC and the Washington Nationals were eager to move forward with the build out of the existing retail space and provide more options to the now vibrant Capitol Riverfront community.

“We are confident that as Events DC and the D.C. Zoning Commission work out the final terms of a permanent certificate of occupancy, we will continue to operate without restrictions as we always have,” Nationals spokeswoman Jennifer Giglio said in a written statement, according to the same report.

In a statement to FOX 5, Events DC said: “Events DC looks forward to the Zoning Commission’s decision regarding the existing retail space at Nationals Stadium along First Street in Southeast. The approximately 17,000-square-feet of retail space was built as a shell within the original stadium and delivered in 2008, per the zoning order.”

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Apart from Nationals Park, Events DC owns RFK Stadium and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the city.

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