The days of the Capitals and Wizards playing in Washington, D.C., are numbered. On Wednesday morning, Monumental Sports and Entertainment owner Ted Leonsis and Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin announced plans to move the teams across the river, according to the Washington Post.
Monumental Sports and Entertainment, in conjunction with Virginia, have revealed a plan to move the NHL and NBA teams to the Potomac Yard area in Alexandria, Va. The project will involve building a new $2 billion sports district that includes a new arena to be shared by the two teams, a 3,000-seat music venue, hotels and headquarters for Monumental Sports and Entertainment.
At an event in Potomac Yard, Leonsis said the project is about building up entertainment products that the entire DMV area can enjoy. Leonsis also asserted that moving the teams across the river doesn’t make them any less a part of D.C.
“That notion of community in the DMV really is what our business is about,” Leonsis said, per the Post. “That’s the higher calling for sports. That is the higher calling on everything that we do – to build these legacies through winning championships from doing the right things in the right way by our fans, so that people can appreciate the community that they live in. It’s no secret that this great airport here was considered Washington National, and yet it’s in Virginia.”
Washington D.C. officials, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, tried to make a last-minute offer to Monumental Sports and Entertainment that included $500 million to upgrade Capital One Arena, where the Capitals and Wizards currently play.
The Washington Mystics, also owned by Monumental Sports and Entertainment, are expected to remain in D.C. along with larger concerts and events.
Assuming the proposal does get all the necessary approvals, ground could break on construction in 2025 and the teams would move to Virginia in 2028. That would leave the Washington Nationals as the only Big Four team remaining in Washington.
