• Loading stock data...
Saturday, May 31, 2025

As Leonsis Eyes Virginia, D.C. Weighs Arena Neighborhood Transformation

  • Mayor forms a task force to look at other uses for the Capital One Arena area.
  • Officials moving at a speed often unseen in arena negotiations.
Monumental

Washington, D.C., officials are still talking with Ted Leonsis and his Monumental Sports and Entertainment about staying at Capital One Arena. But D.C. officials already are developing a backup plan, acting with a speed often unseen in the slow-moving world of stadium and arena negotiations.

Less than four weeks after Leonsis announced plans to build a $2 billion arena and mixed-use development in Alexandria, Va., for the Washington Wizards and Capitals, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has formed the Gallery Place/Chinatown Task Force to create a new vision for the area surrounding Capital One Arena. The task force will consider a variety of potential moves for the neighborhood, including potentially tearing down the 26-year-old venue to open the land for other uses.

“We have to have a vibrant space here,” Bowser said. “We can’t have it underused, and there will be people who it would serve their purposes [sic] if we had an underutilized arena in downtown D.C. That will not serve the purposes for the D.C. taxpayer. So I want to be clear about that: We will not allow an underused arena.”

The task force includes both current government officials and private business leaders and is led in part by two of Bowser’s mayoral predecessors, Anthony Williams and Adrian Fenty. Even before Leonsis announced his plans, the Capital One Arena area was the subject of rising concerns about crime and business growth. 

Local Politics

Bowser did not detail the current state of D.C.’s talks with Leonsis, but an offer of $500 million in public money to upgrade Capital One Arena remains on the table. The Leonsis plan to move the Wizards and Capitals to the new Alexandria arena also potentially involves his Washington Mystics shifting its home games from the 4,200-seat Entertainment and Sports Arena in southeast D.C. to Capital One Arena. 

The prospect of moving the WNBA team from D.C.’s poorest ward to downtown has already angered local officials, even as the Mystics regularly sell out  at the smaller venue and have arguably outgrown it as the league soars in popularity. D.C. officials, meanwhile, are thinking about other—and potentially very different—options for the Capital One Arena neighborhood.

“If the teams do move—and we have to anticipate that they will—we have an opportunity to reposition almost two city blocks, five acres, right in downtown D.C. for a new use,” said Nina Albert, D.C.’s acting deputy mayor for planning and economic development. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

breaking

Pacers-Thunder Is Lowest-Payroll NBA Finals in Years

Neither team is in the luxury tax, despite rosters with multiple All-Stars.

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.

MSG Tickets for Potential Pacers-Knicks Game 7 Start at $1,100

The current get-in price for a potential Game 7 is $1,099.

French Open Scheduling Sparks Backlash Over Women’s Time Slots

Coco Gauff has also said the French Open schedule could be improved.

Featured Today

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.
May 25, 2025

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
May 24, 2025

Indiana Is the Center of the Basketball Universe—Thanks to Both Pro Teams

The Fever and Pacers are thriving at the same time.
Feb 14, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of the Kansas City Royals 1985 and 2015 World Series championships on the scoreboard at Kauffman Stadium at the Truman Sports Complex.
May 28, 2025

Chiefs, Royals Stadium Public Funding Standoff Nears Endgame

Missouri legislators will review stadium bonds for the Chiefs and Royals.
May 30, 2025

Chiefs, Royals Stadium Plans Hit Political Wall As Both Parties Say No

Both Republicans and Democrats in Missouri oppose public funding for stadiums.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
U.S. Women's Golf
May 27, 2025

U.S Women’s Open Will Play on Courses Once Reserved for Men

Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin is hosting this week’s tournament.
Gillette
May 21, 2025

Boston NWSL Team to Play at Gillette After Legal Fight Delayed Own..

The team beat a lawsuit from locals against their stadium in April.
Sep 25, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; A general view of Soldier Field before a game between the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans. Chicago defeated Houston 23-20.
May 19, 2025

Bears Pivot to Suburbs As $4.7B Downtown Stadium Plans Dim

The NFL team has reversed course on its lavish plans.
May 18, 2025

Final Preakness Stakes at ‘Pimlico As We Know It’ Delivers High Drama

The Baltimore horse racing track is set for a $400 million renovation.