Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Very big if true...local media is reporting a deal with be announced to move the Wizards/Capitals to a new arena in Alexandria. Hopefully this is just a negotiation tactic for tax breaks from the District. I guess we will find out more in the coming days.
But man, that would be another catastrophic blow to the District if this comes to pass. https://twitter.com/tomsherwood/stat...96722637762941
It's unfortunate because Capital One was one of the better examples of a sports arena being pretty seamlessly integrated into a dense, urban environment.
Last time I was at the arena - which was a couple months before the pandemic - I didn't like what I saw. The arena itself is dirty and increasingly run-down, looks and feels older than it is.
The streets around the arena are of the kind where you might be in a crowd of tourists from all over and thinking this is fine, but then you turn a corner and you're on your own except for a crazy person yelling at no-one in particular and a couple street guys just 'hanging out'. It looks like the area relies on visitors to give it a nice vibe, but people who're there to prey on unlucky visitors are never too far away either.
I read somewhere that the city reduced the cop detail assigned to the arena significantly and given the mounting concerns about crime in D.C., I wouldn't be shocked if that played a role in the rush to Virginia.
It's unfortunate because Capital One was one of the better examples of a sports arena being pretty seamlessly integrated into a dense, urban environment.
Maybe I'm just in denial, but I still think there is a good chance this is a negotiating tactic to get public funding from the district and to get the city to crack down on the crime/disorder around the arena. Monument Sports is building a studio near the arena and Gallery Place, despite all its issues still makes more sense as a location from a regional perspective. Plus, this move would likely be unpopular with DC/MD who may see these teams more as NoVa teams than DMV teams.
Basically at this point the District has basically no choice but to give Monument what they want. Otherwise the District will be left with a zombie arena that will require massive public subsidies anyway. So I still leave out hope the District gov and Monumental Sports will be able to reach a deal.
Last time I was at the arena - which was a couple months before the pandemic - I didn't like what I saw. The arena itself is dirty and increasingly run-down, looks and feels older than it is.
The streets around the arena are of the kind where you might be in a crowd of tourists from all over and thinking this is fine, but then you turn a corner and you're on your own except for a crazy person yelling at no-one in particular and a couple street guys just 'hanging out'. It looks like the area relies on visitors to give it a nice vibe, but people who're there to prey on unlucky visitors are never too far away either.
I read somewhere that the city reduced the cop detail assigned to the arena significantly and given the mounting concerns about crime in D.C., I wouldn't be shocked if that played a role in the rush to Virginia.
The arena is fine. It looks like it underwent a $70 million renovation in 2019. Yet some people are acting like it's Soldier Field or Fenway.
Sports franchises demand new stadiums all the time regardless of the crime situation. Money is almost always the reason behind these moves whether it's the Rams moving to Los Angeles, the Warriors moving to SF or the Wizards moving to Alexandria.
Maybe I'm just in denial, but I still think there is a good chance this is a negotiating tactic to get public funding from the district and to get the city to crack down on the crime/disorder around the arena.
This should be viewed as an opporunity to "upscale" the area. Maybe you'll get better dining and retail instead of stuff like Fuddruckers and Chipotle that's there to cater to the suburban crowd.
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
8,128 posts, read 7,547,924 times
Reputation: 5785
Quote:
Originally Posted by BajanYankee
Looks like it's a done deal.
It's unfortunate because Capital One was one of the better examples of a sports arena being pretty seamlessly integrated into a dense, urban environment.
Probably the #1 example in the nation at that. Although the Arena (for now) will still be in use per Leonsis. Not that it will be there forever since WNBA, Georgetown basketball, and concerts cannot offset the loss of 82 NHL/NBA home games combine per year. But DC eventually will need to just redevelop the entire site with another City Center DC like development. For now though, Leonsis states they want to build the new facility and he owns Capital One Arena, so both will be in use.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BajanYankee
The arena is fine. It looks like it underwent a $70 million renovation in 2019. Yet some people are acting like it's Soldier Field or Fenway.
Sports franchises demand new stadiums all the time regardless of the crime situation. Money is almost always the reason behind these moves whether it's the Rams moving to Los Angeles, the Warriors moving to SF or the Wizards moving to Alexandria.
Yeah crime is not even in the top 3 of reasons why Leonsis is making this move. He's able to build a new stadium and entertainment complex from scratch for one. Not to mention that if they stayed in DC who is luring the Commanders back to RFK long term wasn't going to be able to come up with enough funds to have all four major sports teams in the city proper plus MLS and WNBA. The Nationals are already asking for upgrades to Nats Park which is like 15 years old. Leonsis can now work with a state government, that can provide way much more through their General Assembly and Gov that is eager for a political win, instead of trying to peel dinero from the D.C. City Council every so often. D.C> is the only city in America that doesn't have backing of a state legislation for their entertainment venues.
Last edited by the resident09; 12-13-2023 at 01:13 PM..
Probably the #1 example in the nation at that. Although the Arena (for now) will still be in use per Leonsis. Not that it will be there forever since WNBA, Georgetown basketball, and concerts cannot offset the loss of 82 NHL/NBA home games combine per year. But DC eventually will need to just redevelop the entire site with another City Center DC like development. For now though, Leonsis states they want to build the new facility and he owns Capital One Arena, so both will be in use.
Yeah crime is not even in the top 3 of reasons why Leonsis is making this move. He's able to build a new stadium and entertainment complex from scratch for one. Not to mention that if they stayed DC who is luring the Commanders back to RFK long term wasn't going to be able to come up with enough funds to have all four major sports teams in the city proper plus MLS and WNBA. The Nationals are already asking for upgrades to Nats Park which is like 15 years old. Leonsis can now work with a state government, that can provide way much more through their General Assembly and Gov that is eager for a political win, instead of trying to peel dinero from the D.C. City Council every so often. D.C> is the only city in America that doesn't have backing of a state legislation for their entertainment venues.
He doesn't own the ground below it. DC owns the ground. Really the building needs to be town down so a City Center type development can be built. Actually, something like the Stacks under construction in Buzzard Point would do wonders for Downtown DC. The NOMA/Union Market area is much busier 24/7 than Chinatown because of the population density. Putting 2,000 units and a grocery store there would completely transform that area.
Maybe I'm just in denial, but I still think there is a good chance this is a negotiating tactic to get public funding from the district and to get the city to crack down on the crime/disorder around the arena. Monument Sports is building a studio near the arena and Gallery Place, despite all its issues still makes more sense as a location from a regional perspective. Plus, this move would likely be unpopular with DC/MD who may see these teams more as NoVa teams than DMV teams.
Basically at this point the District has basically no choice but to give Monument what they want. Otherwise the District will be left with a zombie arena that will require massive public subsidies anyway. So I still leave out hope the District gov and Monumental Sports will be able to reach a deal.
"ground lease is an agreement that permits a tenant to develop a piece of property during the period of the lease. After the lease period, the land and all improvements the tenant makes return to the property owner. Ground leases may also be referred to as land leases since the landlord is leasing out only the land."
"Capital One Area opened in 1997 and Monumental’s ground lease is set to expire in 2027. Monumental owns the arena, but leases the land from the District. The two teams are expected to continue playing there until the new arena is ready in 2027."
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
