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

[AlexModvechkin8]

Updated the thread title to be a bit more accurate.

I took the Metro from the Potomac Yards station for the first time this week. Beautiful station but no chance it can handle an arena crowd. There’s not even a vehicle drop off area at the moment — the only lane to drop off or pick up passengers is a small roundabout reserved for Metro busses; otherwise you have to pull into one of the neighborhood streets to idle as a vehicle and then pedestrians have to cross the street to get to the station.

The logistics behind this seem impossible, to be honest. There’s not enough space there to make the necessary changes to the Metro station and to all of Route 1, the GW Parkway, and to Potomac Ave (the street that parallels Route 1 in Potomac Yards). I lived in North Old Town less than a mile from here for a decade and I can’t see how this would be anything other than a disaster if it happened. Commuters from northern VA would have their lives turned upside down if this project goes through.

 

[usiel]

Updated the thread title to be a bit more accurate.

I took the Metro from the Potomac Yards station for the first time this week. Beautiful station but no chance it can handle an arena crowd. There’s not even a vehicle drop off area at the moment — the only lane to drop off or pick up passengers is a small roundabout reserved for Metro busses; otherwise you have to pull into one of the neighborhood streets to idle as a vehicle and then pedestrians have to cross the street to get to the station.

The logistics behind this seem impossible, to be honest. There’s not enough space there to make the necessary changes to the Metro station and to all of Route 1, the GW Parkway, and to Potomac Ave (the street that parallels Route 1 in Potomac Yards). I lived in North Old Town less than a mile from here for a decade and I can’t see how this would be anything other than a disaster if it happened. Commuters from northern VA would have their lives turned upside down if this project goes through.

Bolded sink or swim for the project.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

@AlexBrovechkin8 my sister lives there and takes that station all the time. It’s too clunky positioned to work as a stadium station.

 

[pman25]

It’s so easy to get to capital one arena too. The metro access is the obvious advantage from all directions, but even the parking is a breeze. I drive up from Richmond pretty regularly and never had issues parking nearby, usually street parking or I’ll pick any number of garages. Far more convenient to get into the city any number of ways than getting to Potomac Yards.

Just take whatever Bowser offers you Ted and stay put. No need to change what works…

 

[VaCaps Fan]

I am a Richmond Franconia-Springfield metro guy myself.

 

[bacchist]

Putting in that arena there in DC completely gentrified that area. That was two blocks from the old 9:30 Club and was basically a no go area for a caucasian suburban softie like myself back then. The Verizon Center did its job and completely upscaled that area. Now I have been down there since Covid days so no idea if suddenly the area is on a decline.

I don't really get this 'desperately needed' thing.

In that junky's video it was pretty obvious the desire for Monumental. 4 acres versus 12 acres. They did attempt to grill Stone about alternative sites. He was pretty careful not to take the bait.

For me it is a bit of a Virginian thing. I remember the failed attempt by JKC to build a stadium at the same location to see that get sunk also. But then Maryland got to have the team there.

If I could wave my magic wand I would love to see them build an arena in Tysons Corner. Perfect nexus of 495/66/toll road/silver line. The area from Tyco Road north to 267 seems like a bunch of options for redevelopment. No idea how many different land owners.

If it was in Tyson's corner, they couldn't have home games from a week before Thanksgiving until January. Unless the traffic situation has done a 180 in recent years. I still get flashbacks.

 

[usiel]

If it was in Tyson's corner, they couldn't have home games from a week before Thanksgiving until January. Unless the traffic situation has done a 180 in recent years. I still get flashbacks.

I have worked most of my adult life in Tysons Corner starting in the late 80s at TRU and then early early 90s at Tower Records. Late 90s at Hechts in the first mall and then 20 years from roughly 2001 to 2020 (till Covid) so intimately familiar with the traffic there. There will never be a perfect location but for me that fills the bill to some degree.

 

[bacchist]

I have worked most of my adult life in Tysons Corner starting in the late 80s at TRU and then early early 90s at Tower Records. Late 90s at Hechts in the first mall and then 20 years from roughly 2001 to 2020 (till Covid) so intimately familiar with the traffic there. There will never be a perfect location but for me that fills the bill to some degree.

I would rather they stay in Chinatown, but if they're going to move I don't have strong opinions about where.

I mainly just wanted to complain about the traffic

 

[stanleycaps18]

I saw it mentioned as a possibility of having ramps to GW Parkway for the new arena complex would that modulate your traffic opinion.

There is virtually zero chance of that.

 

[g00n]

Non-scientific driving comparison using google maps and arbitrary route of College Park to both locations. Repeated for different nights of the week, leaving at 6pm.

Typical difference: 10min

Leaving at 5pm might add another 5 min.

 

[Empty Goal Net]

Non-scientific driving comparison using google maps and arbitrary route of College Park to both locations. Repeated for different nights of the week, leaving at 6pm.

Typical difference: 10min


View attachment 825958

View attachment 825957


Leaving at 5pm might add another 5 min.

We'd need a transportation specialist/planner to tell us what effect an additional 2-5k (guessing, of course) cars would have on feeder routes as well as congestion in the immediate area of the arena. Guessing it could add 20-30 minutes to many trips.

 

[g00n]

We'd need a transportation specialist/planner to tell us what effect an additional 2-5k (guessing, of course) cars would have on feeder routes as well as congestion in the immediate area of the arena. Guessing it could add 20-30 minutes to many trips.

Probably, but my post was in response to speculation about current travel times being 30-60 min extra or whatever. It's 10-15 if you believe google.

 

[Vilica]

I feel like its the Red Line people complaining more about the move than Green Line people. By the time the arena is done, presumably Yellow Line traffic would have been restored to Greenbelt, so someone coming from College Park would have a ~40 minute 1 seat ride to Potomac Yard. That's vastly preferable to trying to drive there, though it is 17 minutes longer than the current 23 minute ride from CP to Gallery Place.

The Red Line people do have a gripe, because they would have a transfer now, but when you really break down and look at the trip in its entirety, there really is very little time differential between a trip to Nationals Park and Potomac Yard. Currently, Red Line patrons going to Nats Park go to Gallery Place, transfer to the Green Line, and have a 7 minute trip to Navy Yard, followed by a ~1500 foot walk to the CF entrance. That walk takes anywhere from 7-10 minutes. Future Red Line patrons going to Potomac Yard would have the same trip to Gallery Place, the same transfer (to Yellow not Green), and a 17 minute trip to Potomac Yard, followed by a ~250 foot walk to the entrance. That walk should take 2-5 minutes at most. In both cases, you're looking at about a 20 minute addition to the initial Red Line trip from Maryland.

You don't really hear about Marylanders avoiding Nationals games because of an inconvenient commute, and as I've shown, it's basically the same elapsed time to travel to Navy Yard/Potomac Yard from Gallery Place.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I feel like its the Red Line people complaining more about the move than Green Line people. By the time the arena is done, presumably Yellow Line traffic would have been restored to Greenbelt, so someone coming from College Park would have a ~40 minute 1 seat ride to Potomac Yard. That's vastly preferable to trying to drive there, though it is 17 minutes longer than the current 23 minute ride from CP to Gallery Place.

The Red Line people do have a gripe, because they would have a transfer now, but when you really break down and look at the trip in its entirety, there really is very little time differential between a trip to Nationals Park and Potomac Yard. Currently, Red Line patrons going to Nats Park go to Gallery Place, transfer to the Green Line, and have a 7 minute trip to Navy Yard, followed by a ~1500 foot walk to the CF entrance. That walk takes anywhere from 7-10 minutes. Future Red Line patrons going to Potomac Yard would have the same trip to Gallery Place, the same transfer (to Yellow not Green), and a 17 minute trip to Potomac Yard, followed by a ~250 foot walk to the entrance. That walk should take 2-5 minutes at most. In both cases, you're looking at about a 20 minute addition to the initial Red Line trip from Maryland.

You don't really hear about Marylanders avoiding Nationals games because of an inconvenient commute, and as I've shown, it's basically the same elapsed time to travel to Navy Yard/Potomac Yard from Gallery Place.

This is the kind of analysis I love to read thx….

 

[dreadpirateroberts]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/03/06/virginia-arena-budget-removed-youngkin/

 

[usiel]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/03/06/virginia-arena-budget-removed-youngkin/

Could be a doom shot when I think of Youngkin's republican president aspirations makes me think that, in olden political times and not now, good old political compromise. Come on Leonsis Tysons Corner is waiting for you... (Toyota Dealership)

 

[stanleycaps18]

It's not totally dead, but it will take a lot of concessions from Youngkin to get this through.

 

[usiel]

It's not totally dead, but it will take a lot of concessions from Youngkin to get this through.

This starting to veer potentially into a subject that should be avoided but the one thing as far as a hope is that that Lucas has not had any public 'asks' politcally-wise that is a poison pill for the governor. I can see some meta long game where both Leonsis/Youngkin game planned this out and this is all normal VA politics kabuki dance/negotiation crap. No mention off the assault weapon bans, etc.

 

[John Price]

It dead.

Good riddance. I didn't know nobody who liked it.

- location was worse than original
- taxpayers would have bore the brunt of it

Not to say that COA is perfect, it's not, but it was miles better than the location.

 

[John Price]

 

[kicksavedave]

It dead.

Good riddance. I didn't know nobody who liked it.

- location was worse than original
- taxpayers would have bore the brunt of it

Not to say that COA is perfect, it's not, but it was miles better than the location.

I don't know if its dead, but it may take longer to approve. This stuff is all about money and back room deals and pork/perks for each vote. Youngkin will need to fork over some concessions to revive it.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Ted nuked all of his remaining (yet waning) good will with the fanbase and replaced Dan Snyder as the most hated owner in DC and also like Dan Snyder he won’t have a new stadium. His complete lack of self-awareness and being surprised about all of the negative feedback really was a terrible look.

Nice work, Ted. Way to go.

 

[Midnight Judges]

It's not totally dead, but it will take a lot of concessions from Youngkin to get this through.

Has Youngkin offered any concessions at all so far?

 

[Midnight Judges]

It dead.

Good riddance. I didn't know nobody who liked it.

- location was worse than original
- taxpayers would have bore the brunt of it

Not to say that COA is perfect, it's not, but it was miles better than the location.

Is it dead? It seems to me there are numerous ways for Youngkin and Ted to sweeten the deal - which they have not done yet to my knowledge.

I can tell you this: The Alexandria city Government isn't going to get in the way of anything. They were firmly in Ted's pocket well before any of this was announced.

 

[stanleycaps18]

If this is true, then Ted has given up the whole "I am a tech genius" facade he has been projecting since 1999. Don't get me wrong, the guy is a bona fide billionaire, but this is insane.