Navy Yard

[Anonymous]

How come the Wizards haven't actively considered moving to Navy Yard with a new stadium? With Nats Park and Audi Field in the area, why not go there?

[Anonymous]

Maybe if they can find a way to do it without bringing yet more traffic congestion during games...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How come the Wizards haven't actively considered moving to Navy Yard with a new stadium? With Nats Park and Audi Field in the area, why not go there?

If they move it's going to be out of DC. The things they don't like about their current location (ie crime) also are problems in Navy Yard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How come the Wizards haven't actively considered moving to Navy Yard with a new stadium? With Nats Park and Audi Field in the area, why not go there?

If they move it's going to be out of DC. The things they don't like about their current location (ie crime) also are problems in Navy Yard.

Crime is worse in Chinatown.

[Anonymous]

Crime is not the issue. The main thing they don't like about their current location is that the city isn't paying for upgrades to the facility that the team wants. Since the city seems to be a bit of a sucker for paying for stuff for sports teams (see: Nationals Park; massive infrastructure expenditures for Audi Field; long-planned move for the NFL team back to RFK site), maybe they'll get what they want if they threaten to move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Crime is not the issue. The main thing they don't like about their current location is that the city isn't paying for upgrades to the facility that the team wants. Since the city seems to be a bit of a sucker for paying for stuff for sports teams (see: Nationals Park; massive infrastructure expenditures for Audi Field; long-planned move for the NFL team back to RFK site), maybe they'll get what they want if they threaten to move.

+1, the idea that an NBA team would move to the suburbs due to crime is laughable. Have you ever been to an NBA game in another city?

But that doesn't mean the facility can't be nice. The bigger issue is that the Wizards aren't that profitable. They just don't have the same fan base as other teams and they rarely sell out games, plus they don't sell nearly as much gear as either other NBA teams nor other DC sports teams.

I do think it's weird that the facility isn't nicer given that it's shared by three professional teams, regularly hosts high profile college basketball games, and is a major arena venue for touring shows. Even though the Wizards aren't nearly as profitable as teams like the Lakers/Warriors/Knicks/Bulls/etc., there's no reason that venue should be hurting for cash. Between hockey, touring shows, and college hoops, it must make a lot of money.

[Anonymous]

What isn’t nice about the facility?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Crime is not the issue. The main thing they don't like about their current location is that the city isn't paying for upgrades to the facility that the team wants. Since the city seems to be a bit of a sucker for paying for stuff for sports teams (see: Nationals Park; massive infrastructure expenditures for Audi Field; long-planned move for the NFL team back to RFK site), maybe they'll get what they want if they threaten to move.

+1, the idea that an NBA team would move to the suburbs due to crime is laughable. Have you ever been to an NBA game in another city?

But that doesn't mean the facility can't be nice. The bigger issue is that the Wizards aren't that profitable. They just don't have the same fan base as other teams and they rarely sell out games, plus they don't sell nearly as much gear as either other NBA teams nor other DC sports teams.

I do think it's weird that the facility isn't nicer given that it's shared by three professional teams, regularly hosts high profile college basketball games, and is a major arena venue for touring shows. Even though the Wizards aren't nearly as profitable as teams like the Lakers/Warriors/Knicks/Bulls/etc., there's no reason that venue should be hurting for cash. Between hockey, touring shows, and college hoops, it must make a lot of money.

For those born in the early 80s, the Wizards are the losingest basketball team in their lives. The name is dumb. The logo awful. But the product on the court, which can overcome some of the issues where people don't want gear, has also been pretty awful.

[Anonymous]

Why build it there?

[Anonymous]

If there's going to be a new football stadium at RFK they may as well build a new basketball and hockey arena there too so they can share parking. But I hope it stays at Gallery Place; it's going to be hard to fill that space with anything else and RFK is further from metro (especially red, green, and yellow lines)

[Anonymous]

Navy Yard would be a good place to put it, but I don't know were you could build this in the neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Navy Yard would be a good place to put it, but I don't know were you could build this in the neighborhood.

This was my thought. Is Navy Yard seriously being considered? Where? Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anywhere an arena could go, unless you evicted the actual US Navy facility. Or maybe took out a park.

Now, the RFK land, that’s another story…

If bowser could pick, she would send this project EOTR. There is a big push for econ development there. And there’s actually land over there.

[Anonymous]

Thye should build it by DOT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What isn’t nice about the facility?

Agree. Nothing wrong with the arena. Wizards need some work.