Capitals owner unveiling plans for new arena in Northern Virginia

[Hockeyfan2390]

This is interesting, considering Capital One Arena is younger than several current venues like in Boston, Philly, Vancouver, Carolina, St. Louis, Chicago, Anaheim, San Jose, and the obvious Calgary/New York.

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[OgeeOgelthorpe]

This is interesting, considering Capital One Arena is younger than several current venues like in Boston, Philly, Vancouver, Carolina, St. Louis, Chicago, Anaheim, San Jose, and the obvious Calgary/New York.

https://x.com/Scott7news/status/1734691672834048465?s=20

But...why?

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Is this for real, or some sort of bluff to get more money from some source ?

 

[Machinehead]

Most of what would be considered the DC Metro Area is already Northern Virginia and probably 33% to 50% of the market the Caps are geared towards is in Virginia.

This is akin to the Islanders moving between Brooklyn and Nassau.

 

[Zine]

A little bit of a misleading title.

 

[Neil Patrick Harris]

This sounds like more a circumstance of Washington being its own district, really. The Virginia border runs right along the Potomac.

 

[MMC]

 

[DieSendungmitderMaus]

Seems like owners moving their arenas to the burbs for subsidies typically sucks for fans and leads to poor attendance in lean years (which the Caps appear to be heading towards). Probably worth it financially for Leonsis, but maybe bad for fans?

Although admittedly I have no idea wether their current arena is even downtown

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Seems like owners moving their arenas to the burbs for subsidies typically sucks for fans and leads to poor attendance in lean years (which the Caps appear to be heading towards). Probably worth it financially for Leonsis, but maybe bad for fans?

Although admittedly I have no idea wether their current arena is even downtown

It is very much in downtown.

I think new site has metro access from what I hear.

 

[kylek023]

I'm guessing they're not going to rebrand since the new place isn't far off

 

[Empoleon8771]

Most of what would be considered the DC Metro Area is already Northern Virginia and probably 33% to 50% of the market the Caps are geared towards is in Virginia.

This is akin to the Islanders moving between Brooklyn and Nassau.

Yeah a lot of cases of "moving out of the city to the suburbs" are stupid, but this one makes a lot of sense IMO. The DC public transit is amazing and Alexandria (if it will be located there) isn't even far out of the city center, and I imagine that will be the furthest location it might be. I could see it being in Arlington close to the Capitals practice rink as well.

This isn't the Coyotes moving from Phoenix to Glendale, let's just put it that way.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Hate this idea.

The arena today is fine. There is scarcely a bad seat in the house (I've sat everywhere). It's a great central location for all the fans. It's not even that old. Right in the heart of the city, as it should be. Multiple metro stops close by on multiple lines.

Alexandria is not bad but traffic already sucks and there is only 1 metro line. Will make it harder for Maryland fans.

This is senseless money grab for Ted Leonsis - no doubt bolstered by idiotic politicians once again throwing tax dollars at a billionaire who charges $15 for a bud light.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

Arlington Argyls or Pentagon Patriots? Alexandria Pharoahs? Guess Tyson's Corner Tyrants is also in play.

 

[Machinehead]

Yeah a lot of cases of "moving out of the city to the suburbs" are stupid, but this one makes a lot of sense IMO. The DC public transit is amazing and Alexandria (if it will be located there) isn't even far out of the city center, and I imagine that will be the furthest location it might be. I could see it being in Arlington close to the Capitals practice rink as well.

This isn't the Coyotes moving from Phoenix to Glendale, let's just put it that way.

Yeah, and it's not like they're moving in the wrong direction like the Islanders did. When they went to Brooklyn, it was very much coming into Rangers territory and all of the Islanders fans I know (who lived out on the island, mostly) hated coming in for the games.

This should be fine for most Caps fans, I would imagine.

 

[Djp]

I live a mile from the potential new arena site

Issue with the current arena---

It will be about 30 years old at the time they could but out of the lease in 2027.

Downtown area of DC where the arena is located as been hammered hard since COVID which was a heavy office and hotel area with little in residency. When COvid happened many of the office buildings became vacated and many busuinesses moved out. The immediate area near the arena wasnt as impacted because you have had 120+ nights of events going on at the arena each year. But buisnesses closed which affected their customer base.

even before Covid they have been bitching the arena is behind the times compared to other arenas

The new arena site
That new Amazon HQ site is ammile away from the arena. The area they are building called Cystal City in Arlinton county just neaxt to DCA airport. It has mixed use building area.

As part of that Amazon deal was a new Virginia tech campus (focusing on grad school) is being built and they just opened a long planned new metro station that was planned to be open a few ears ago before covid delayed it.
the area of alexandria is where there currently is a shopping plaza with big box stores (target, best buy, barnes and noble. tj max., old navy, michaels, and others) and there was a Regal Cinema. The Regal cinema lot is where the new metro station was build. Covid accelerated the closing of the Regal.
The plan is for this shopping center lot to closed down and be changed into a multi-million mixed use high rise area where some of these retailers likely will have ground floor stores.
in this area you have the large shopping center then a local road then the lot where the movie theater was located along with brush and then the metro/AMTRAk/ rail tracks.

phase 1 is building this area between the road and the tracks. They have afew buiildings in the process of being built.

the arena is likely going to go in that area just to the right of the tracks and before the road. this is a picture of the new metro stationwith the bridge over the rails. that shopping center is off the image to the right on the other side of the road where you would see the back of it.

to the left is George Washington Parkway

phase 2 and phase 3 in volve the shopping center.

phase 2 is the lot to the north which is split by a road through the center. Barnes and noble, Michaels, TJ Max are there., phase 3 is where Target, best buy are located.

2030 is the planned finish date of this project.

 

[Pablo El Perro]

Isn't that just the suburbs?

 

[HisIceness]

It's not my team but I've been before and I thought the current arena was fine. The location is great, the sightlines (at least for the Wizards) were good, there were several places to eat nearby, and the metro rail runs underneath with a station there. The only complaint I'd have is I thought the upper concourses were kind of narrow.

But everyone wants the shiny new toy. Personally I hope the people in NoVa tell the parties involved to kick rocks. I like sports but I also think billionaires should pay for their own toys.

 

[Djp]

Yeah, and it's not like they're moving in the wrong direction like the Islanders did. When they went to Brooklyn, it was very much coming into Rangers territory and all of the Islanders fans I know (who lived out on the island, mostly) hated coming in for the games.

This should be fine for most Caps fans, I would imagine.

the issue is on both fan bases.

DC location was more central. Having the arena. This arena will be about another 15+ min ride on metro for those in DC and northern and east suburbs in maryland and dc to the arena.

for those in Virginia along I-66 and near dulles air port the ride on metro will be about the same.

closer for those along blue/yellow lines.

Depending on the bus routes created it might be about the smae for those in Prince Georges county, MD to get to the arena


My concern is the roads cant handle the capacity of an event there

You dont have easy freeway access. Yes 495/95 is about 2 miles from the arena as is 395 the other way. US 1 runs near the arena that is two lanes each way then in old town Alexandria it splits into two one way streets that are 3 lanes each way.

when I go from where i live to beltway on US 1 the lights are in sync where I hit the first light after I turn on the road but then I clear just about every light except for one.

It's not my team but I've been before and I thought the current arena was fine. The location is great, the sightlines (at least for the Wizards) were good, there were several places to eat nearby, and the metro rail runs underneath with a station there. The only complaint I'd have is I thought the upper concourses were kind of narrow.

But everyone wants the shiny new toy. Personally I hope the people in NoVa tell the parties involved to kick rocks. I like sports but I also think billionaires should pay for their own toys.

the problem is the loss of business crowd near the arena that have moved out.

they are not going to kck rocks. This arena is going intot a big new development with Amazon HQ and Virginia Tech campus along with having Pentagon and govt tech contractor offices there so you will have a concentration of high income people there

 

[Djp]

Yeah a lot of cases of "moving out of the city to the suburbs" are stupid, but this one makes a lot of sense IMO. The DC public transit is amazing and Alexandria (if it will be located there) isn't even far out of the city center, and I imagine that will be the furthest location it might be. I could see it being in Arlington close to the Capitals practice rink as well.

This isn't the Coyotes moving from Phoenix to Glendale, let's just put it that way.

this is similar to what Atlanta did with its stadium and where they put it. they put it more central to where the fan base was

It is very much in downtown.

I think new site has metro access from what I hear.

the DC "downtown area is in metro where you have a rectangle of metro between DCA. pmtagpn, Roslyn, and Capitol with the baseball and soccer stadiums to the southgern end and the northern end around K street

Potomac yards opened on May. I live near Braddock station

Gallery place/China town is where the current arena is located

 

[Djp]

Is this for real, or some sort of bluff to get more money from some source ?

this has been talked about for a while. Covid accelerated it.

virginia legislature passed a funding bill last night

 

[Djp]

Isn't that just the suburbs?

not really

if you think about DC original land crossed both Virginia and Maryland.

They gave back Virg9inia land which became Arlington and Alexandria. This Arena is still in the original DC land

This would be the same as Seattle stadiums are relative to Seattle downtown area.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

this has been talked about for a while. Covid accelerated it.

virginia legislature passed a funding bill last night

So how far is the move approximately ?

Is it enough they would have to be the West Virgina Capitals ?

 

[Devil Dancer]

About 25 years in Maryland, about 25 years in DC, this is just the logical next step.

 

[MMC]

 

[Djp]

So how far is the move approximately ?

Is it enough they would have to be the West Virgina Capitals ?

lincoln memorial to Capitol is about 2 miles. The old arena to this new site is about 3 miles.