A recent virtual town hall on a proposal to move the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals to northern Virginia was a hotbed of conversation.
Hundreds of people, both in favor and against the move, joined the meeting, including Senator Adam Ebbins and the Mayor of Alexandria, Va., Justin Wilson.
Last month, Monumental Sports and Entertainment CEO and founder Ted Leonsis announced plans for a massive entertainment campus in northern Virginia, the centerpiece of which would be a new home arena for the two sports franchises.
According to a study released by the City of Alexandria, the more than $2 billion development would bring an estimated 30,000 permanent jobs to the state (not including construction jobs to build the property), as well as an estimated $7.9 billion in annual revenue for the state.
Not surprisingly, not everyone is 100 percent on board with the idea yet. At the virtual meeting, concerns about impacts on the local environment and quality of life in the city were raised. Senator Ebbins himself said an important question to consider is whether traffic caused by the proposal could be managed or if it would become “unacceptable.” Additionally, a group of neighbors in the area of the proposed sports complex, calling themselves “Stop the Arena Coalition,” have begun a grassroots movement in opposition.
“You’re trying to bring a project that’s supposed to improve the economic quality of this town, with revenue projections and economic studies that are basically garbage,” former Alexandria Councilmember Andrew Macdonald, a coalition member, said during a recent rally.
While this issue is far from over, it shows the sports business will always be contentious.
