Wizards and Caps could be moving to Potomac Yard

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Michael Wilbon speaks for probably 90% of Wizards fans

Good luck recovering that part of the fanbase, Ted.

And personally, I have been a season ticket Caps supporter since the last year of US Airways Arena/capital centre (I bought them because they were moving downtown) and will not renew. Most of the people who sit around me have also said they will not renew.

Sad day.

You'll forfeit something you enjoyed for decades because it moved....3 miles away?

Umm, OK, bro. Go ahead and cut your nose off to spite your face.

3 miles can mean hours of time wasted in rush hour traffic.

Or it can mean staying on the blue line for 3 extra stops. If you were driving to the Cap center that is on you.

Really not seeing where you're getting just 3 extra stops? It's quite a few extra stops between Metro Center and Potomac Yard. Even if you're coming from Fairfax or Loudoun (Orange or Silver Line), Potomac Yards is 6 stops away from the Roslynn transfer point where Metro Center is the 4th stop after Roslynn - and more importantly, you don't have to transfer lines!!!!! Late night line transfers add way too much time to the trip.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to such a huge hit to the quality of life for nearby residents who NEVER SIGNED UP TO LIVE NEAR AN ARENA.

I live less than 3/4 of a mile away and I am livid.

LOL. The small area plan for Potomac Yards always envisioned an Uber dense, walkable community with thousands of units of high-rise residential living. Not sure why you feel livid. This was never going to stay as is.

If it was something geared towards the use of people who actually live there, fine, but there is limited land and they are going to allocate that amount of space to something used for less than 1/3rd of the year?

I imagine it will be used for concerts and other events like any other arena.

As someone who lives in upper NW, I'd be happy to take my kids to games in VA, I had stopped bringing them to Chinatown.

I don't even think this will be the wake up call for DC. I think it will take plunging revenues that get their poverty pimps, advocates and bike lane bros to turn on them. That process will play out for a while.

Many in DC raised the alarm re: crime, declining quality of life, environment for businesses. So did Leonsis, since very early this year, publicly and one can imagine privately. Some hoped that he would be a voice they would respond to. Nah. The way they scrambled 12 hours before this event was so embarrassing.

DC is going to explain this away as about money, not about crime. And honestly they're right. I don't think crime is irrelevant here, but it's clear that this was mainly about Leonsis getting the fancy new arena he wants. I'm not happy with DC's approach to crime, nor am I happy with Chinatown lately, but it was completely fine on nights with events (I haven't been for games recently, only concerts) and there's not a chance I am going to make it from upper NW to Potomac Yard for weeknight games. That's going to be a BRUTAL trip.

I disagree about it feeling safe, having taken my kids to daytime games, it did not. Stepping over a pool of blood on the sidewalk, being followed by junkies, a knife fight outside Walgreens as we were just trying to get to the door. I don't bring the kids down anymore.

The neighborhood really started slipping in 2019, I worked there. It's grim now. 2 friends are having a very hard time selling condos in the area for close to what they paid. If you have not spent time there, it's easy to minimize and dismiss that real factor.

[Anonymous]

18 hours a day, 365 days a year. Lovely.

https://wapo.st/47VKzj7

This rendering is ugly. And while I am 100% in favor of increasing density in this area, this is FAR from the visions Alexandria proposed over so many years.

I wonder how Tech feels about this. They were supposed to be the centerpiece of PY.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to such a huge hit to the quality of life for nearby residents who NEVER SIGNED UP TO LIVE NEAR AN ARENA.

I live less than 3/4 of a mile away and I am livid.

LOL. The small area plan for Potomac Yards always envisioned an Uber dense, walkable community with thousands of units of high-rise residential living. Not sure why you feel livid. This was never going to stay as is.

If it was something geared towards the use of people who actually live there, fine, but there is limited land and they are going to allocate that amount of space to something used for less than 1/3rd of the year?

I imagine it will be used for concerts and other events like any other arena.

As someone who lives in upper NW, I'd be happy to take my kids to games in VA, I had stopped bringing them to Chinatown.

I don't even think this will be the wake up call for DC. I think it will take plunging revenues that get their poverty pimps, advocates and bike lane bros to turn on them. That process will play out for a while.

Many in DC raised the alarm re: crime, declining quality of life, environment for businesses. So did Leonsis, since very early this year, publicly and one can imagine privately. Some hoped that he would be a voice they would respond to. Nah. The way they scrambled 12 hours before this event was so embarrassing.

They're talking about using it for the Mystics and concerts. I don't think that will be enough to stop the area from going downhill.

I live in Upper NW as well and unfortunately I will not go to Alexandria. That's too far, especially at rush hour. But that's a calculation that Leonsis must have made. He's sacrificing Montgomery County and Upper NW for Prince William and PG.

It is going to be a rough few years for DC. Times have changed and DC needs to adjust before it is too late.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to such a huge hit to the quality of life for nearby residents who NEVER SIGNED UP TO LIVE NEAR AN ARENA.

I live less than 3/4 of a mile away and I am livid.

LOL. The small area plan for Potomac Yards always envisioned an Uber dense, walkable community with thousands of units of high-rise residential living. Not sure why you feel livid. This was never going to stay as is.

If it was something geared towards the use of people who actually live there, fine, but there is limited land and they are going to allocate that amount of space to something used for less than 1/3rd of the year?

I imagine it will be used for concerts and other events like any other arena.

As someone who lives in upper NW, I'd be happy to take my kids to games in VA, I had stopped bringing them to Chinatown.

I don't even think this will be the wake up call for DC. I think it will take plunging revenues that get their poverty pimps, advocates and bike lane bros to turn on them. That process will play out for a while.

Many in DC raised the alarm re: crime, declining quality of life, environment for businesses. So did Leonsis, since very early this year, publicly and one can imagine privately. Some hoped that he would be a voice they would respond to. Nah. The way they scrambled 12 hours before this event was so embarrassing.

If you watch the presser taking place right now, you will see, this is not about crime. This is about 70 "blanks" acres that are being given to Leonsis, along with 2 billion dollars.

The city cannot compete with either.

And of course, some in Virginia are not happy about it.

[Anonymous]

^ been here for 30 years, EoTP so not a stranger to urban life. Chinatown has a menacing vibe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Potomac Yard is five miles away from the Cap One Arena. Post-COVID traffic patterns are nothing like they were before the pandemic. People on this thread are talking about "brutal trips" on weeknights or threatening never to go to the new arena. Give me a break.

Thankfully, most of the people who live in the DC area are not drama queens like many DCUM posters. The new arena will be built and Caps fans and Wizards fans will find ways to get there and continue supporting their teams.

I am sorry, are you a remote worker? Traffic in that area is worse than pre-COVID. Mass transit use is way down.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Fcking Youngkin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Michael Wilbon speaks for probably 90% of Wizards fans

Good luck recovering that part of the fanbase, Ted.

And personally, I have been a season ticket Caps supporter since the last year of US Airways Arena/capital centre (I bought them because they were moving downtown) and will not renew. Most of the people who sit around me have also said they will not renew.

Sad day.

You'll forfeit something you enjoyed for decades because it moved....3 miles away?

Umm, OK, bro. Go ahead and cut your nose off to spite your face.

I will still watch the games on tv. But it isn't worth the extra half hour each way on the metro, assuming it is even still running at that point. That is an hour more for each game just in transportation time. No, not worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll give up my season tickets. DC is pretty central and easy to get to on the Metro. I guess I’ll be saving a lot of money.

Three or four more stops down the yellow line. Not the biggest deal. The arena will probably be a tad smaller than Cap One so that’ll help absorb the loss of folks like you who won’t want to come further south. There is a relative dearth of restaurants in PY but that would be rectified if this really happens.

Don’t forget MSE can save significant tax $$$ moving operations from DC to VA. Corporate tax rates are lower. Although Alexandria does have a BPOL tax.

This would be a boon to the tax base in Alexandria and help fund schools, the APD and the ACFD as well as provide some seed money for the affordable housing they desperately need after committing to such a large unit increase several years back.

I was opposed to moving the Skins there 30+ years ago but this seems to be a different beast entirely. I think they will build high-ish mixed use along the east side of Rt 1 and that would basically face the proposed MSE build site and shield it from Rt 1 traffic. It might also work well with the HQ2 development going on. I’m mildly intrigued, albeit skeptical.

This move is basically a f____ you move to Md fans, whether MoCo, PGC, or elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to such a huge hit to the quality of life for nearby residents who NEVER SIGNED UP TO LIVE NEAR AN ARENA.

I live less than 3/4 of a mile away and I am livid.

LOL. The small area plan for Potomac Yards always envisioned an Uber dense, walkable community with thousands of units of high-rise residential living. Not sure why you feel livid. This was never going to stay as is.

If it was something geared towards the use of people who actually live there, fine, but there is limited land and they are going to allocate that amount of space to something used for less than 1/3rd of the year?

I imagine it will be used for concerts and other events like any other arena.

As someone who lives in upper NW, I'd be happy to take my kids to games in VA, I had stopped bringing them to Chinatown.

I don't even think this will be the wake up call for DC. I think it will take plunging revenues that get their poverty pimps, advocates and bike lane bros to turn on them. That process will play out for a while.

Many in DC raised the alarm re: crime, declining quality of life, environment for businesses. So did Leonsis, since very early this year, publicly and one can imagine privately. Some hoped that he would be a voice they would respond to. Nah. The way they scrambled 12 hours before this event was so embarrassing.

They're talking about using it for the Mystics and concerts. I don't think that will be enough to stop the area from going downhill.

I live in Upper NW as well and unfortunately I will not go to Alexandria. That's too far, especially at rush hour. But that's a calculation that Leonsis must have made. He's sacrificing Montgomery County and Upper NW for Prince William and PG.

It is going to be a rough few years for DC. Times have changed and DC needs to adjust before it is too late.

The area has been GOING downhill since 2019 and it's pretty bad right now. For those compelled to deny it is a factor, go spend some time walking around, even during the day on a weekday or weekend. The Tenderloin comes to mind.

[Anonymous]

Logitsically for fans, this is a horrible location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Potomac Yard is going to become a much bigger destination over the next ~7 to 10 years, with the Metro stop opening earlier this year and the big Virginia Tech campus opening up in phases over the next few years.

What’s the latest on the big existing strip mall with the Target and Best Buy? If they redevelop that into something like The Crossing in Clarendon it could do quite well.

There is zero chance that PY will be a destination place for DC and MD residents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Potomac Yard is five miles away from the Cap One Arena. Post-COVID traffic patterns are nothing like they were before the pandemic. People on this thread are talking about "brutal trips" on weeknights or threatening never to go to the new arena. Give me a break.

Thankfully, most of the people who live in the DC area are not drama queens like many DCUM posters. The new arena will be built and Caps fans and Wizards fans will find ways to get there and continue supporting their teams.

I am sorry, are you a remote worker? Traffic in that area is worse than pre-COVID. Mass transit use is way down.

+1.

There are also reasons mass transit is down. One is increased crime on metro. DC Council decriminalizing fare evasion has had a huge negative impact throughout the system. Not only on fares not captured but $40 million for new gates and tens of millions for off duty MPD cost WMATA money that it needed to run in VA and MD too. DC wanting to be Portland or SF has had a lot of ripple effects in the whole region.