Anti-arena advocates urged Virginia lawmakers in Richmond on Thursday to hit pause on a bill that would sanction a new sports stadium complex for the Washington Wizards and Capitals in Alexandria.
Dozens of Alexandria-area residents and activists loaded a bus in the morning, armed with shirts, signs and banners and headed south to the state Capitol.
“No Virginia tax dollars for billionaire’s folly,” one sign read. “Puck the arena!”
“We don’t believe that the economic development promises …. will pan out,” said John Breyault, vice president of public policy with the National Consumers League. “They haven’t panned out for dozens of cities across the country for decades.
“We don’t believe that they have figured out a magic formula to suddenly make this work. We think they’re leaving millions of Virginians on the hook for decades of debt for a stadium that is not going to pay off,” he said.
Ted Leonsis, the owner of the two sports franchises, announced plans in December to move the Wizards and Capitals to Potomac Yard.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has backed the move, calling it “visionary,” but the proposed massive entertainment, shopping, dining and parking project has drawn opposition in the region.
Alexandria residents said they had several concerns. They highlighted taxpayer responsibility, transportation issues, and effects on the area’s small-town feel.
“No one likes spending taxpayer dollars to build stadiums for billionaire owners. This deal will not work,” Brian Hess of the Sports Fans Coalition said. “Economic consensus shows over the last 30 years that these arena deals fail the local communities. There is nothing about this deal, despite what Leonsis and Governor Youngkin say, that shows they’ve cracked the code.”
Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson insists that taxpayers will not foot the bill for the new stadium. Current plans for the project outline a $400 million investment from Monumental Sports and $1.4 billion in public bonds.
The mayor said tax revenue from the stadium would pay off the bonds.
“Included in this deal is an ongoing fund that will renovate and upgrade the arena over time, to avoid the obsolescence that ultimately occurred at Capital One Arena,” Wilson wrote in a newsletter.
“Additionally, the City will have long-term agreements … to ensure long-term tenancy and protect the City’s taxpayers from risk.”
Hess told The Washington Times that a long-term lease doesn’t guarantee that the Wizards and Capitals won’t move again in 20 years.
“Billionaires like Leonsis get out of contracts like this for fun,” Hess said. “This tax structure doesn’t support the Commonwealth. The money generated would stay in the arena instead of helping Virginians.”
Hess cited St. Louis’s football stadium as a worst-case scenario. City officials used public bonds to build a stadium in the 1990s, hoping to lure an NFL franchise to the site. It worked. The Rams moved to the city in 1995, but the marriage was short-lived. The team grew unhappy with the stadium and moved back to Los Angeles in 2016.
Alex Tsalyuk is a D.C. resident who traveled to Richmond on Thursday. He said he’s a hockey fan and would hate to see his team leave.
“I can’t see who this is good for or who this benefits. It’s the worst thing that could happen to Gallery Place,” Tsalyuk said. “I can handle my team moving, but you still have to do right by the people. They’re showing no respect for the people who actually go to the games.”
On top of construction costs, city officials would need to invest in local transportation to support the arena. A study commissioned by the commonwealth cited the need for up to $215 million in improvements to roadways and the Metro.
The report said the current Potomac Yard station could be “extremely crowded” for up to 90 minutes after a Capitals or Wizards game.
“With improvements, the station will be able to handle anticipated passengers but will be crowded for 30-45 minutes post-game,” the report said.
Democrat state Sen. Scott Surovell introduced a bill to establish a state stadium authority and finance fund in January. On Thursday, it awaited approval in the Committee on Finance and Appropriations.
With Thursday’s visit to Richmond, advocates hoped to tap the brakes on the process to confirm the bill.
“We want the General Assembly to slow down. There’s no need for this much urgency in this process,” Breyault said. “Residents deserve more than a rushed two-month process.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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