Virginia state senator says she will vote against Wizards, Capitals new arena

A Virginia state senator pledged to oppose a new arena for the Washington Wizards and Capitals in northern Virginia, a plan that could have massive implications for the Washington economy and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R).

Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and Youngkin announced a tentative deal to move both teams across the Potomac River to a new arena complex in Alexandria, Va., last week, a move that quickly garnered loud criticism from politicians in Washington but was mostly welcomed by those in Virginia.

State Sen. Louise Lucas (D) derided the move, however, saying Wednesday that Virginia public funds should not support the $1 billion public share of the estimated $2.2 billion project.

“Anyone who thinks I am going to approve an arena in Northern Virginia using state tax dollars before we deliver on toll relief and for public schools in Hampton Roads must think I have dumbass written on my forehead,” Louise said on X, formerly Twitter.

Lucas, who represents Portsmouth, Va., near Norfolk, is the president pro tempore of the senate and an influential Democrat. Democrats will hold both houses of the state Legislature after a sweep in the 2023 elections. 

The proposed sports complex consists of a new arena, outdoor music venue and retail space in the up-and-coming Potomac Yard neighborhood of Alexandria, adjacent to Reagan National Airport on the banks of the Potomac.

The stadium deal is viewed as a victory for Youngkin, who took flak for the 2023 election losses and the announcement of a new FBI headquarters in Maryland. The FBI project was initially expected to land in northern Virginia, and the Maryland selection launched a controversy among federal lawmakers.

“The Commonwealth will now be home to two professional sports teams, a new corporate headquarters, and over 30,000 new jobs,” Youngkin said in a statement on the project’s announcement last week.

Youngkin proposed paying for the project through a new bond authority, the Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority, with tax revenue being diverted to pay down bonds over time. That plan requires the approval of the state Legislature. The move also requires the approval of Alexandria city authorities.

Hosting teams in suburban arenas is much more rare in the NBA and NHL than in MLB or the NFL. While Washington is already home to one suburban team, Washington Commanders, no NBA team plays home games outside of their named city, and almost all play in downtown arenas.

District politicians also went after the proposal, saying the sports teams leaving Capital One Arena in the Chinatown neighborhood in downtown Washington would significantly harm the local economy. 

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser offered a last-second deal to Leonsis before the Virginia proposal was announced, offering to pay for $500 million of an estimated $800 million in stadium renovations demanded by team owners to get them to stay.

“Downtown DC is the District’s economic engine that provides revenue resources to support important programs in the city,” Bowser said in a statement last week.