Members of Congress from Maryland and D.C. were caught off guard by the decision to move the Washington Capitals and Wizards to northern Virginia — and they’re concerned about the impact on a downtown Washington still reeling from the impacts of Covid.
Virginia leaders led by GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the move, which took many in the area by surprise, during a Wednesday press conference in the Potomac Yard neighborhood where the new arena complex for the professional hockey and basketball teams will be located.
“They weren’t going to stay in Washington,” said Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) in a brief interview. “So I guess we will have to see whether this new move will enhance them as they try to draw fans.”
Norton added she was concerned about the impact of the decision on the Gallery Place neighborhood, where both teams currently play.
It’s the latest in a series of local battles over regional institutions, with Maryland prevailing over Virginia last month in a bitter battle to secure the new headquarters of the FBI.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), whose district is poised to land the stadiums, said he’d “been hearing the rumors for weeks” of the relocation “so we knew it was coming if they could make a deal.”
“It’s gonna be a mixed blessing. On the one hand it’s a beautiful place to put it. … And it’ll be a great economic boon for both Arlington and Alexandria,” he said in an interview with POLITICO. “The downside, of course, is we don’t know how much it will change some of the precious neighborhoods — I say precious in the positive sense — Del Ray is special.”
Beyer, who acknowledged he’d not spoken with Mayor Muriel Bowser about the situation, said his impression was “keeping the [Washington] Commanders was a more important priority” for her, referring to the local football team currently playing in Maryland.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) told POLITICO he was unaware of the negotiations and surprised by the announcement, saying he’d yet to speak with Mayor Muriel Bowser or Ted Leonsis, the owner of both teams.
“I worry about its impacts on the city,” Van Hollen said of the move.
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) declined to comment.
