Wizards and Caps could be moving to Potomac Yard

[Anonymous]

Let the Commanders move to Virginia, and move the Ravens from Baltimore to Laurel. Like having the Patriots in Foxboro. Camden Yards is crime-infested and a lot of Ravens/Orioles fans do not like going there, especially if they drive. Having the Commanders in Virginia will eliminate the long-standing feud between Baltimore & DC over major league teams.

[Anonymous]

Why would the Ravens move? They have one of the best stadiums in the NFL and well supported.

[Anonymous]

It will be a tremendous blow to DC if they lose both the caps and the wizards.

Also Chinatown/GP will fall off a cliff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It will be a tremendous blow to DC if they lose both the caps and the wizards.

Also Chinatown/GP will fall off a cliff.

To a large extent it has already gone over the cliff. When the Walgreens was recently robbed, again, the thief stole the glock of the security guard. Even back in say 2019 it was slipping and pretty grim. But now? People are weighing crack on scales at the top of the escalator in broad daylight. Pools of blood on the sidewalk. Menacing and dystopian vibe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

You might consider using fewer acronyms.

LOL OK…

MSE = Monumental Sports & Entertainment (the company that owns the teams in question)
BPOL = Business Professional and Occupational License tax (a NoVa peculiarity)
APD = Alexandria Police Department
ACFD = alexandria City Fire Department
HQ2 = Some Amazon development not many people have heard about

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As I posted in the other thread, this is about the teams getting leverage so the DC Government will pony up a half billion dollars to renovate a 25 year old arena.

I can say based on texts with people in my friend groups that none of us in DC or MD would go to any games in the future.

+1

And it'll be hyped up just like HQ2 and will give absolutely nothing if it goes through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will be a tremendous blow to DC if they lose both the caps and the wizards.

Also Chinatown/GP will fall off a cliff.

To a large extent it has already gone over the cliff. When the Walgreens was recently robbed, again, the thief stole the glock of the security guard. Even back in say 2019 it was slipping and pretty grim. But now? People are weighing crack on scales at the top of the escalator in broad daylight. Pools of blood on the sidewalk. Menacing and dystopian vibe.

+1

[Anonymous]

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.

[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.

That’s basically what the existing area plan called for already. A more dense mixed use development that eliminates all those surface parking lots.

Getting an arena instead really sucks for people who live there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh HELL no. The Maryland drivers already make driving on Rt 1 a constant shitshow. And where would it even go??

Don’t worry MD drivers won’t go to VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh HELL no. The Maryland drivers already make driving on Rt 1 a constant shitshow. And where would it even go??

Don’t worry MD drivers won’t go to VA.

They already come through this corridor on their way home to MD. They are gonna love this new obstacle on their route!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Camden Yards is crime-infested and a lot of Ravens/Orioles fans do not like going there, especially if they drive.

I can tell you haven’t been to Baltimore or an orioles game probably since the 90s

[Anonymous]

This is a lose-lose situation.

- Death Knell for Chinatown. A new arena in Potomac Yards would also draw other non-sporting events away from the Cap One Arena. As a result, arena-dependent businesses close along 7th Street. A seedier neighborhood gets even seedier with vacant storefronts and higher crime. DC takes a tax revenue hit.

- Higher Traffic and Higher Crime for Potomac Yards. An arena over there won't support the high-density mixed-use developments already constructed or planned.

Keep the Caps and Wizards in DC and upgrade the existing facility.

Oh, and maybe both teams can upgrade their performance, too.

[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.

More people might live there but “destination”? Give me a break. Building sterile Bobby’s burger palaces isn’t a destination. It’s takes hundreds of years or hundreds of billions of dollars to build an urban “destination” .

This is just the line dance every sports owner does to get the city to pony up. The orioles just did it to Baltimore and now the team might sell for a much higher price. DC will do what it takes. It has no choice.

[Anonymous]

If this is just a giant advertisement for developable Potomac yard real estate and bargaining chip for things to stay in DC, fabulous.