ALEXANDRIA, Va. — All eyes are on the proposed $2 billion dollar project to build a new arena that could bring the Capitals and Wizards to Alexandria's Potomac Yard.
Alexandria City Council held a town hall Saturday to answer questions and present updates on the proposal. As council members discussed plans and listened to community concerns, groups including ‘The Coalition to Stop the Arena at Potomac Yard' and 'Don't Mute D.C' rallied outside of the meeting.
“I think it would be a terrible change for Alexandria. Potomac Yard should be developed in a much more family friendly way,” says Andrew McDonald, Alexandria resident and member of The Coalition to Stop the Arena at Potomac Yard.
Some of the concerns include traffic, crime and the influence on the environment. City leaders got a temperature read of the project during a town hall Saturday morning.
“The economic impact, the impact on crime, the impact on vulnerable communities is not being talked about enough,” Says D.C. resident Cohen Cosby.
Virginia Governor Glenn Younkin and the Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis announced the plans a little over a month ago.
Monumental Sports and Entertainment released the following statement Wednesday:
“A new arena and entertainment district is a monumental opportunity for Alexandria and for Virginia. We want to be good neighbors, which is why the current phase of our work centers on, deeper engagement and community input. As the community learns more, we are confident that our fans will join in our excitement as we continue to move through this process.”
Alexandria officials say the project is expected to bring in 30,000 jobs and $8 billion dollars in revenue. City leaders are expected to have another virtual meeting covering transportation and traffic on Thursday, February 1st.