Washington Wizards, Capitals plan to depart DC as crime crisis intensifies; Youngkin celebrates move
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin spoke about potential details of a deal to bring major D.C. sports to his state amid an uptick in Washington crime on "The Ingraham Angle."
As the crime wave gripping the United States intensifies, the owner of two of Washington, D.C.'s major league sports teams joined Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to announce a move across the Potomac to a yet-to-be-constructed complex in Alexandria.
"Ingraham Angle" host Laura Ingraham, a longtime Washington-area resident, said it is clear that "crime was part of this decision" to bring the teams to Virginia come 2028.
"I was in D.C. when the [then-]Verizon Center… was built, and I saw how that area of D.C. was totally revitalized… Crime has been a major problem in this city really since before COVID," she said. "That had to be part of the decision as well — nobody wants to go downtown."
A USA Today "For the Win" column also noted the spike in crime in the District's Chinatown neighborhood where the now-Capital One Arena is located, but also reported a $36 million mortgage-type payment on the site has been weighing on team owner Ted Leonsis.
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Leonsis and Youngkin, along with Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Alexandria Democratic Mayor Justin Wilson, came together for an announcement this week, and Leonsis stated his intention is to "expand here and keep Capital One Arena in D.C. a great place."
Youngkin told Fox News it has been an "exciting day for Virginia," as the deal was forged to move the teams to the new Potomac Yard area next to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The site recently received its own METRO station on the Yellow and Blue lines.
Youngkin, a former private equity executive, said he also negotiated a one-of-a-kind deal for the Commonwealth on the financial side, describing his alignment with Leonsis as a public-private partnership "like none in America."
"Monumental Sports [Leonsis' company] and the city of Alexandria and of course the Commonwealth of Virginia are going to bring together all of our capabilities to develop a $2 billion sports-and-entertainment district that will be the home to two great teams: the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals," he said.
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"We're also going to see the Monumental headquarters move to Virginia with 600 jobs. We're going to develop a 6,000-seat concert venue, a convention center, hotels, mixed-use restaurants and, of course, housing and community space."
Youngkin also touched on the crime aspect, saying there have been "winners and losers" between states with Republican and Democratic governors on that front, as well as in the realm of economic performance.
Earlier in the evening, host Laura Ingraham criticized Democratic D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for what she described as paying lip service to the crime crisis. Carjackings, robberies and other serious crimes have spiked in recent times.
"Our experience with crime is kind of a blip. It's a phenomenon, and we can look back over the last several years and see a lot of contributing factors, but we will drive it down," Bowser said in recent remarks.
Ingraham said such comments "take [her] breath away."
"Now, politicians may lie, but numbers don't," she said.
Ingraham called Potomac Yard a "far safer community" for the Wizards and Caps to call home.
The WNBA's Washington Mystics, who currently play in Congress Heights, D.C., could find an eventual home at Capital One, according to WTOP.
Leonsis' company owns the Capital One Arena, but the District owns its land, according to local NBC affiliate WRC.