Wizards Announce Major Arena Renovation Plans

The Washington Wizards' quest for a new arena has long been documented, but instead of going elsewhere for an upgrade, they are staying right at home.

Wizards governor Ted Leonsis and D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser announced plans to renovate Capital One Arena with $515 million, keeping the franchise in the heart of D.C. instead of moving to Virginia like it was previously discussed. The renovations include fortifying the area both inside and outside the arena.

Leonsis spoke about how important these renovations are for the future of the city and franchise.

“As we were starting to iterate our showings of preliminary plans, she said ‘make it more connected to D.C.,'” Leonsis said via The Athletic reporter David Aldridge.

“‘Make it modern, airy, I want to see a lot of light. I want to see connection with the streets … there will be now, just as there is at the art museum across the street, a roof that will connect this. And this, still, you’ll be able to walk through from 6th Street to 7th Street. We’ve been able to amalgamate, if you will, a sizable footprint. And once you have the space, you can innovate, you can make those investments.”

The new changes will also allow Capital One Arena to become one of the premier venues in the NBA, according to league commissioner Adam Silver.

“I’d say, from a league standpoint, this is the ideal public-private partnership,” Silver said via Aldridge.

“This is nearly a billion-dollar investment, for their benefit and the community’s benefit. I think these are the modern-day town halls, these arenas. What’s happening now in these entertainment palaces, they are full, seemingly, every night of the year … this will easily put you in the top tier (of busiest NBA arenas) when this renovation is completed.”

Capital One Arena renovation is expected to begin this summer and continue during the offseasons until 2027.

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