Confirmed with Link: Capitals to VA is dead. DC decides to pay $515 million dollars to upgrade capital one

[John Price]

‘I don't believe I'm abandoning DC': Caps, Wizards owner Ted Leonsis talks about Monumental Move

For the first time since announcing his intentions to move the Washington Wizards and Capitals out of D.C. across the river to Virginia, owner Ted Leonsis is answering questions from reporters.

www.nbcwashington.com

 

[dreadpirateroberts]

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

This is the 80 year old politician who wants hold hostage over this….

 

[Brian23]

The real question here is what the hell was Ted doing popping bottles and celebrating if this wasn't done before? Like, at this rate he's not gonna have a place in DC or VA to fall back on.

 

[stanleycaps18]

Congratulations Ted, you managed to piss off what is left of your fan bases while giving the upper hand back to the Mayor of DC.

 

[John Price]

lol I remember when Hayley milon was a caps reporter or gameday host

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Damn, Bowser has the upper hand again.

 

[John Price]

mfw the deal falls apart

good riddance. it received almost zero public support, the second he announced it legislators were up in arms. the area is terrible for an arena, it's right near an airport, it just wouldn't work.

I wonder if Ted will try to move the team again elsewhere. We know he is not happy with Capital One Arena so maybe he gives up and stays in DC. Or he could try to build elsewhere in the area.

 

[Brian23]

I don't see how Ted or the team would ever stay in DC. Capital One was built the "right way" by Polian, private funding. They basically reinvigorated the entire area (or gentrified, depending on how you wanna see it, but money around it went up) and DC responded by taxing them to high heaven and doing nothing to support the area, and just let it basically slowly rot away again. Why would anyone want to continue with them as a partner in that case?

 

[Corby78]

He could build a new “caps center” out in Landover, there is going to be a big empty spot for sale in a few years. Or so I’m told…

 

[arlcapsfan]

I suspect this deal will get done. They have to play to political negotiation game.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Hope they stay at capital one downtown.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Ted is not an intelligent owner and his ego got the best of him again.

 

[Artie Fufkin]

If he really wants to be in Alexandria, why doesn’t he move a couple miles south to the empty parcels on Eisenhower Ave? Accessible to Metro and 495, with new development already in place?

 

[Midnight Judges]

The thing that really bugs me about this "deal" is, the day they announced it, they acted like it was basically a done deal.

It's a huge project. There must have been Months and Months of meetings among Youngkin's office, Leonsis's people, local representatives, consultants on transportation and waste management, economic studies, and state representatives.

And yet we the voters didn't hear a single peep about it. I mean, there were vague rumors over the years but that's about it. I heard Woodbridge, I heard Fairfax, etc.

I understand why Leonsis would be secretive. I do NOT understand why anyone in Government would go along with secrecy on something like this.

 

[stanleycaps18]

Sell the teams, Ted.

 

[Fred22406Capsfan]

Any chance of Ted moving the team outside of the DMV?

 

[usiel]

This is politics so what as the 'ask' they wanted from the governor. All the other stuff is typical political BS.

Ahh espn article shed light the VA dems want to negotiate: establishing rec cannabis sales, increase in minimum wage, toll relief for Hampton Roads.

I'm fine with the site as long as the most of the traffic concerns can be sorted out. Will never be perfect.

Va. Senator: Bill for new Wiz, Caps arena is dead

A leading Democratic Virginia legislator says a proposed bill paving the way for the NBA's Wizards and NHL's Capitals to relocate to northern Virginia is dead.

www.espn.com

"As long as the full faith and credit of the commonwealth is backing this project, my answer continues to be an absolute no," Lucas said.

Rob Damschen, communications director for Youngkin, said in a statement that the governor remains confident that the Assembly "will come together because this project is good for the entire Commonwealth."

"It creates 30,000 jobs and unlocks billions in new revenue that can be used to fund expanded toll relief in Portsmouth, increased funding for I-81, and new money for education for rural and urban school divisions across the Commonwealth," Damschen said.

Senate Republicans criticized what they characterized in a statement as a "pocket veto" of the governor's priority.

"The only plausible explanation for this move is that there were not enough votes in the Senate Finance Committee to defeat the bill," Sen. Mark Obenshain of Rockingham said. "This departure from the traditions of the Senate is unfortunate and clearly indicates a deep division among Senate Democrats."

Still alive on the house side.

 

[WanderingCapsFan]

Any chance of Ted moving the team outside of the DMV?

Charles Town, here we come??

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Legalize that weed and watch the approvals flow!

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Legalize that weed and watch the approvals flow!

Its legal in MD now. Just saying
Makes no sense not to be legal. The cartels prices became dirt cheap now that anyone can go to the store and pick up and pay taxes on it.

I do love seeing Ted looking bad as I want them to stay at China Town

 

[John Price]

Any chance of Ted moving the team outside of the DMV?

nope. ted is a DMV product born and raised. he would never move them to salt lake city or some expansion market.

This isn't a Bob Short situation.

if anything the worst we get is a move 40 minutes north to baltimore

I'm fine with the site as long as the most of the traffic concerns can be sorted out.

You can't sort that out though the traffic there sucks and you're putting it right by an airport

hard pass

if they've got another parcel of land in VA sure. Just not ashburn lol.

 

[Fred22406Capsfan]

nope. ted is a DMV product born and raised. he would never move them to salt lake city or some expansion market.

This isn't a Bob Short situation.

if anything the worst we get is a move 40 minutes north to baltimore


You can't sort that out though the traffic there sucks and you're putting it right by an airport

hard pass

if they've got another parcel of land in VA sure. Just not ashburn lol.

Thanks, man. That was my thought but wondered if that might be his plan C or something.

 

[Midnight Judges]

I'm fine with the site as long as the most of the traffic concerns can be sorted out. Will never be perfect.

Yeah, they can't though.

It's a total dead end of an area. The Potomac river is to the east, Old town is to the south, and every square inch to the west is developed with homes and businesses.

In fact they've been promising Amazon that they're going to reduce the traffic volume capability to make route 1 into a walkable campus lined with trees.

So there is no possibility of a new traffic handling going anywhere but North, and they've already promised Amazon they're not going to do that.

And they didn't consult with Metro officials at all because apparently the need to keep this whole thing secret was more important than making a viable plan.

Any chance of Ted moving the team outside of the DMV?

Zero chance. There are 32 NHL teams. The DC area is top 10 most lucrative. You don't trade that for 32nd or 29th or whatever. And if there was a better alternative the recent expansion teams would have gone there instead.

If Ted leaves DC, the Coyotes or some other team would be chomping at the bit to take his place.

 

[usiel]

Yeah, they can't though.

It's a total dead end of an area. The Potomac river is to the east, Old town is to the south, and every square inch to the west is developed with homes and businesses.

In fact they've been promising Amazon that they're going to reduce the traffic volume capability to make route 1 into a walkable campus lined with trees.

So there is no possibility of a new traffic handling going anywhere but North, and they've already promised Amazon they're not going to do that.

And they didn't consult with Metro officials at all because apparently the need to keep this whole thing secret was more important than making a viable plan.



Zero chance. There are 32 NHL teams. The DC area is top 10 most lucrative. You don't trade that for 32nd or 29th or whatever. And if there was a better alternative the recent expansion teams would have gone there instead.

If Ted leaves DC, the Coyotes or some other team would be chomping at the bit to take his place.

Re: Amazon's traffic plan and minor in the grand scheme it was mentioned that the arena traffic plan would not interfere with it.

https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2024/02/13/potomac-yard-arena-deal-virginia-senate