Arlington's outgoing County Board chairman had a positive response to plans to move the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals to an emerging entertainment district adjacent to the Potomac Yard Metro station.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment plans to build the facility on a site in Alexandria close to the Arlington border. Details and financing plans remain to be worked out, but County Board Chairman Christian Dorsey said the move, if it happens, could be a net plus.
"This is an excellent opportunity for Arlington to continue to partner with Alexandria to fulfill our shared, long-term vision to transform [the vicinity] into a highly connected, urban neighborhood that drives positive economic impacts for our communities, and it further cements our region among the world's most innovative and dynamic places to live, play, and do business."
"Arlington has a long-standing relationship with Monumental Sports & Entertainment, and we are excited by their plans," Dorsey said. (The Washington Capitals use the iceplex atop the Ballston Public Parking Garage as a training facility.)
This will be the third time an attempt been made to bring local professional teams to the Route 1 corridor. Thirty years ago, efforts to relocate what then were the Washington Redskins (now the Commanders) on the Alexandria side of the boundary fell short, and 20 years ago, an effort to build a Major League stadium on the Arlington side of the divide also was unsuccessful.
Dorsey, who has served on the County Board for eight years and was tapped by his colleagues as chair for 2023, did not seek re-election and will be departing office Dec. 31.
