A plan for a new arena for the Washington Capitals and Wizards in Potomac Yard is likely to be announced tomorrow.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has confirmed that he will be coming to “announce a remarkable economic development project for the Commonwealth” at the future development site just a half mile south of the Arlington border.
The announcement is scheduled for 9 a.m., according to an advisory from the governor’s office, which otherwise does not specify what will be announced. A series of white tents has been set up near the entrance to the new Potomac Yard Metro station.
Update at 8:45 a.m. — It’s official: an arena and practice facility for the Capitals and the Wizards is coming to Potomac Yard. ARLnow is asking about what this means for the future of the Iceplex in Ballston.
Earlier: The Washington Post reported Monday that Virginia lawmakers approved a deal to bring a new arena for the NHL and NBA teams to Northern Virginia — specifically, “anchoring a massive mixed-use development in Alexandria’s Potomac Yard neighborhood.”
The Washington Business Journal reported today (Tuesday) that team owner Ted Leonsis would be joined by Youngkin at a Wednesday morning announcement, “suggesting a deal to bring the Washington Wizards and Capitals across the river is imminent even as D.C. continues to negotiate an agreement to keep them downtown.”
Tonight, ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Wednesday’s event would “unveil plans for a proposed new arena complex and entertainment district for Wizards and NHL’s Capitals.”
ESPN Sources: Monumental Sports and Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis plans to join Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin in Alexandria, Va., for a news conference on Wednesday to unveil plans for a proposed new arena complex and entertainment district for Wizards and NHL’s Capitals.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 12, 2023
Local officials contacted by ARLnow and sister site ALXnow declined to talk on the record prior to tomorrow’s announcement, though several confirmed that they would be at the event.
Potomac Yard is part of the area — along with Crystal City and Pentagon City — dubbed National Landing at the time of Amazon’s HQ2 announcement in 2018. That announcement included plans for a Virginia Tech Innovation Campus at Potomac Yard, just south of Arlington.
Virginia Tech signs could be seen today on the white tents at the announcement site.
Potomac Yard, best known for the sprawling strip shopping center and parking lot, is expected to undergo a major redevelopment in the coming years, following the opening of the Metro station earlier this year.
The Capitals leaving Capital One Arena in Chinatown would be a significant economic development blow to D.C., but it would in a way be a homecoming for the team.
The Caps’ team headquarters and practice facility has been based at the Capitals Iceplex in Ballston since 2006, and many players live in Arlington and elsewhere in Northern Virginia. No outward sign of a significant announcement could be seen at the Iceplex this evening.
Jo DeVoe, James Cullum and Vernon Miles contributed to this report