Though nothing is finalized yet, and it will be years before a shovel of dirt is turned, officials say they want and expect a robust round of public participation around the proposed "Monumental move" across the Potomac for the Capitals and Wizards.
The proposal to send the teams to play in Alexandria instead of D.C. was announced on Wednesday by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Ted Leonsis, owner of Monumental Sports and Entertainment — the company that owns the teams. The deal would transform a growing Northern Virginia neighborhood and send shockwaves through downtown D.C, which is accustomed to hosting tens of thousands of fans but has struggled with crime.
The public input process got underway on Saturday at Alexandria City Hall, beginning with presentations from Alexandria City Manager James F. Parajon.
“This opportunity is not about sports franchises. It’s not a single deal where we’re moving a sports franchise from one state to the other,” he said. “It’s also about the creation of a significant economic development anchor in our city.”
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The "world-class" entertainment district would include corporate headquarters with 600 six-figure jobs. Aside from the arena, there would be hotels and housing, corporate headquarters and there are also plans for an additional, smaller entertainment venue, suitable for everything from city events to high school graduations.
The project would mean a $2 billion investment, most of it to be put up by Monumental Sports and Entertainment, city officials say. Additional funds will come from bond sales and on-site revenue. Economic officials say there will be no new taxes applying to any other part of the city to pay for it.
Darlene Vanderbush, a resident of 30 years, said as the public gets more involved, emotion should give way to reason.
“When I first heard about it, there was an emotional side of it like, oh my God, what is this gonna do?” she said. “There’s a lot of background work, a lot of groundwork that has to be laid before they get to this point. And there’s still a lot more that has to be done.”
That work includes considering the effects on surrounding neighborhoods.
“We don’t want to look like New York City or Rossalyn. We want to have the charm that so many people come here for,” another resident said.
There’s also traffic and infrastructure to consider, along with the kind of jobs that will be created and the project’s effect on the city’s public safety profile.
The city hall meeting set up the framework of what’s to come. Like the renderings of the site, it’s still in the earliest stages.
