Deadline Approaches for Landowners to Leave Ballpark Site

WASHINGTON - The clock is ticking for five landowners to get off the site where the District plans to build the new baseball stadium for the Washington Nationals.

A D.C. Superior Court judge is giving landowners until Monday to clear off the site. The judge had promised to issue the eviction order as soon as the District and baseball officials signed off on a new stadium lease.

The order affects a developer that leased land to Metro for bus parking; an asphalt company; a warehouse; and several businesses that are on two additional properties.

The order clears just about all of the site south of 'O' Street, allowing the city to break ground.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)