Caps and Wiz moving to Potomac Yards?

[HalfSmokes]

I think after 6 PM is off peak because it is based on commuters being the bulk of the traffic and the arena crowd as adding onto that. I guess they believe that after 6, the regular commute dies down, which opens road and rail space for the arena. 5-6 is when arena and commuter would have the heaviest overlap.

Personally, I work until 6 most days, so my commute into CC is later. I would say earlier trains are busier, but I can't vouch for the roads.

The clearly have never driven on RT at 6. Rush hour is more like 4-7

[Natsinpwc]

The clearly have never driven on RT at 6. Rush hour is more like 4-7

I was going to say 3-7. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

The clearly have never driven on RT at 6. Rush hour is more like 4-7

yes.

[blue911]

This is as bad as the A’s wanting to build on the Strip in Las Vegas. It’s a bad idea from start to finish that does nothing for the area except suck up public funds.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

It's not like a prime location by a metro was going to be undeveloped or under developed. No need for the state to be on the hook for one cent. I don't think those townhomes nearby were sold with an expectation that an arena would be next to them.

[imref]

Arena plan clears its first legislative hurdle, still a long way to go. I guess we'll wait and see if the changes to the deal adopted by the legislature are acceptable to Ted.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/02/09/youngkin-arena-plan-legislature/

RICHMOND — A House of Delegates committee on Friday advanced a plan for setting up a state authority to oversee construction of a new home for the Wizards and Capitals at Potomac Yard in Alexandria, but with several changes to the deal that had been put forward by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R).

The General Assembly would take more control of the authority overseeing the project under the new proposal; transportation costs would be paid off with revenue from the arena; and extra money would be set aside each year to cover maintenance, among other changes.

The vote was the first chance for lawmakers to exert some control over the $2 billion proposed project, but the matter still has a long way to go in the General Assembly. A Senate committee is likely to take up its version of the bill Monday, and both chambers expect to negotiate details into the final hours of the session before adjournment March 9.

------

One key change from the proposal negotiated by Youngkin, the city of Alexandria and Monumental: The House version of the enabling legislation calls for expanding the new Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority to 15 members from nine, and gives more power to the General Assembly to appoint its members.

Under Youngkin’s original bill, carried by Del. Luke E. Torian (D-Prince William), chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, the governor would appoint six members of the authority and the city of Alexandria would appoint the other three. Torian’s new version of the bill, which advanced out of committee Friday on a 17-3 vote, would let the legislature appoint five members, the governor five, Alexandria three, and Monumental and nearby Arlington County would appoint one member each.

The bill would not substantially change the funding proposed for the project, which calls for $1.5 billion in publicly issued bonds to be paid back over 40 years with a combination of sources: state and local tax receipts from the project, parking revenue, rent payments from Monumental, and the proceeds from the eventual sale of naming rights for the sports and entertainment district, though not for the arena itself. Included in the taxes would be a new 10 percent state ticket tax that would apply only to that site.

[HalfSmokes]

Alexandria is going to get screwed so hard. Three out of 15 votes on the authority over seeing it

[Five Banners]

Arena plan clears its first legislative hurdle, still a long way to go. I guess we'll wait and see if the changes to the deal adopted by the legislature are acceptable to Ted.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/02/09/youngkin-arena-plan-legislature/

The key thing that I think got it out of committee was the ability to give the POLITICOs wiggle room with the addition of a reenactment clause, meaning nothing will be official until the next year that actually authorizes the entire thing. In other words, they can play to the constituents that “this is not binding”, though it does move things along. Of course, it also does set it up like the DC ballpark lease thing which actually sounded like it could have gone down in flames on a 2006 reauthorization after a back-and-forth with MLB.

Also, how pathetic do the mayor and the city Council with what was said in just about the only public comments taking issue with any aspect of this in an article just the day before? They indicated that they were “unanimously unhappy” about the distribution of the stadium authority appointment personnel the city was set to be allotted at the time, six for the state and three for them:

https://www.alxnow.com/2024/02/08/alexandria-city-council-unanimously-unhappy-over-proposed-makeup-of-virginia-stadium-authority/

So what happens after they get vocal about that? The state gets 10, the city still gets three, and they add one for monumental and one for Arlington who isn’t on the hook for a share of the financing. If this doesn’t move the needle in terms of the primary and election that comes later this year, I don’t know what will.

[HalfSmokes]

I don’t understand how a private company gets the right to appoint a member of a public authority.

[Five Banners]

I don’t understand how a private company gets the right to appoint a member of a public authority.

Notably, the Post story didn’t seem to go into that

[welch]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/02/09/amazon-hq2-capitals-wizards-arena-virginia-alexandria/

I read that article to say that Amazon is unhappy to share the space with the Ted Leonsis stadium. Amazon pulled their HQ2 (1/2) out of a great place in Long Island City, Queens, after neighborhood groups fought them. So now the State of Virginia is so desperate for a sports team that it prepares to elbow away Amazon, and jobs? 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I read that article to say that Amazon is unhappy to share the space with the Ted Leonsis stadium. Amazon pulled their HQ2 (1/2) out of a great place in Long Island City, Queens, after neighborhood groups fought them. So now the State of Virginia is so desperate for a sports team that it prepares to elbow away Amazon, and jobs? 

I don't know if this really crimps Amazon. HQ2 is more towards Pentagon City / Crystal City than Potomac Yards. While they may have had sights on all of this being "National Landing," the area down at Potomac Yards would be for the VA Tech campus and some startup incubator space. I don't think they had designs on the space. I don't know if they think this will gum up their employees commute?

[Five Banners]

I read that article to say that Amazon is unhappy to share the space with the Ted Leonsis stadium. Amazon pulled their HQ2 (1/2) out of a great place in Long Island City, Queens, after neighborhood groups fought them. So now the State of Virginia is so desperate for a sports team that it prepares to elbow away Amazon, and jobs? 

Amazon may already be elbowing themselves away as far as previously projected plan, scope, in what may serve as a potential preview of what could happen if municipalities overcommit in a public private partnership, yet the business entity is permitted to do business entity things despite starry-eyed projections:

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/amazon-pausing-construction-on-hq2-in-crystal-city-virginia/3291456/

“Amazon will hold back on starting the second phase, PenPlace, which was expected to include the campus' eye-catching Helix building. Construction on PenPlace was set to begin in the first quarter of this year.”

“But as the rapid growth Amazon saw during the pandemic slowed down, in January the company announced layoffs expected to affect as many as 18,000 employees.“

[Five Banners]

I don't know if this really crimps Amazon. HQ2 is more towards Pentagon City / Crystal City than Potomac Yards. While they may have had sights on all of this being "National Landing," the area down at Potomac Yards would be for the VA Tech campus and some startup incubator space. I don't think they had designs on the space. I don't know if they think this will gum up their employees commute?

from the article in question: “But the uncertainty is enough that a top Amazon executive had previously said she would be seeking a meeting with Youngkin this week to contest any effort to abandon the Route 1 approach agreed to in 2019, according to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the tech giant’s stance publicly.”

Changing the design of that stretch of Route 1 was already a whole other kettle of fish. Amazon’s apparent dragging their feet on fulfilling their end of the bargain would not seem to help the negotiations to make the Route 1 stretch north of Potomac Yard. Heading to route 110 sale through swimmingly as envisioned rather than potentially open up a window for Arlington to “pause” their commitment there as well.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Well, I guess the commitment to Amazon was that Route 1 / Richmond (formerly JD) Highway would be lowered and become an "urban streetscape." I suppose for Amazon that makes for some easier footpaths connecting the CC buildings rather than the underpasses at 12th, 15th, and 18th. Connects them more to Boeing's campus to give it the Seattle feel.

Along these lines, i don't know who owns the old American Motel lot. How that is rebuilt probably is dependent on what Route 1 looks like. It is between one of the HQ2 buildings and Route 1. I sort of assumed residential, but maybe they push through the street that's between the HQ2 buildings (14th?), extend it down past Route 1 and connect to Bell?

[Five Banners]

Well, I guess the commitment to Amazon was that Route 1 / Richmond (formerly JD) Highway would be lowered and become an "urban streetscape." I suppose for Amazon that makes for some easier footpaths connecting the CC buildings rather than the underpasses at 12th, 15th, and 18th. Connects them more to Boeing's campus to give it the Seattle feel.

Along these lines, i don't know who owns the old American Motel lot. How that is rebuilt probably is dependent on what Route 1 looks like. It is between one of the HQ2 buildings and Route 1. I sort of assumed residential, but maybe they push through the street that's between the HQ2 buildings (14th?), extend it down past Route 1 and connect to Bell?

The secret that’s not a secret is they’re not even filling up what was projected to be built there, so all of these plans including the streetscape scheme are reportedly getting renewed scrutiny now that the pitch process is far in the past.

[Slateman]

Better luck next year

[Five Banners]

Better luck next year

Or horse trading with this in the middle:

https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/youngkin-area-capitals-wizards-general-assembly-louise-lucas/article_49ecddfe-c8fc-11ee-b076-2bfdde1b9843.html

‘Dems link support to Youngkin backing priorities‘

[Slateman]

Yea, Youngkin aint backing legal weed. Not until his corporate overlords can get federal legalization and they can make a freak ton of money off it. Dems are more than happy to wait for Spanberger, who wil gladly sign off on the new arena and leverage it into being a senate run

[imref]

https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/youngkin-area-capitals-wizards-general-assembly-louise-lucas/article_49ecddfe-c8fc-11ee-b076-2bfdde1b9843.html

going to be difficult to keep the politics out of this thread because the next steps are to obtain Virginia legislative approval in a divided government:

Senate Dems hit pause on arena plan after Youngkin 'mock' speech

After Gov. Glenn Youngkin blasted Democrats in a political speech over the weekend, Senate Democrats put his proposed $2 billion development for a professional basketball and hockey arena on ice — at least for now.

The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee has left legislation for the project proposed in Alexandria off the docket for its meeting on Monday — its last before Tuesday’s procedural halfway point of the General Assembly session.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Other than Ted and Sweater Vest, the only party that I can see truly benefiting from this is IAD since traffic to & around DCA will become impossible much of the time.  But that is robbing Peter to pay Paul and probably diminishes MWAA overall.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Other than Ted and Sweater Vest, the only party that I can see truly benefiting from this is IAD since traffic to & around DCA will become impossible much of the time.  But that is robbing Peter to pay Paul and probably diminishes MWAA overall.

nah. There's very little DCA traffic on Rte 1 now that the rental cars are handled on-site. There's some poor saps who will try to fill at the rip-off Exxon ($3.79!), but other than that, they go GW PArkway and Potomac Yards has no easy link to that.

[Five Banners]

https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/youngkin-area-capitals-wizards-general-assembly-louise-lucas/article_49ecddfe-c8fc-11ee-b076-2bfdde1b9843.html

going to be difficult to keep the politics out of this thread because the next steps are to obtain Virginia legislative approval in a divided government:

I would think the thread can survive here as we stick to the news updates, with a side of incredulity

[imref]

https://news.yahoo.com/leading-virginia-senate-democrat-deals-170149896.html

More detail at this link, including Senator Lucas saying that the deal is dead as far as she is concerned.

Lucas and Surovell also said legislators were not brought into the conversation about the deal early enough and questioned why it was put up for a vote before a legislative economic development commission that reviews proposed incentives just before outgoing lawmakers cycled off that panel.

Surovell said his caucus has concerns about whether the governor is truly willing to consider their priorities, including legislation to establish recreational cannabis sales and further increase the minimum wage, in negotiations over the legislation. Lucas is also seeking toll relief for the Hampton Roads region.

Asked if the deal was “dead,” Lucas responded bluntly: “As far as I'm concerned, it is.”

Lucas was asked if changes to the House version of the bill, which will cross over to the Senate for consideration assuming it clears a floor vote, could make the proposal palatable.

She answered by saying she had a strenuous objection to the project financing as currently envisioned because of its use of moral obligation bonds backed by the state and the city of Alexandria to backstop about a third of the financing. That means taxpayers could be on the hook if the project revenues don’t come through as expected.

“As long as the full faith and credit of this Commonwealth is backing this project, my answer continues to be an absolute no,” she said.

[Five Banners]

nah. There's very little DCA traffic on Rte 1 now that the rental cars are handled on-site. There's some poor saps who will try to fill at the rip-off Exxon ($3.79!), but other than that, they go GW PArkway and Potomac Yards has no easy link to that.

From the report:

“Limiting Impacts to Reagan National Airport can be achieved with temporary traffic
control. The George Washington Parkway is not currently assumed to carry a significant
amount of southbound traffic and there is currently no exit from GWP to Route 1 between I-
395 and Slaters Lane. Cut through traffic attempting to use roadways in or adjacent to
National Airport can be discouraged and/or prevented with temporary traffic control.“

What exactly would constitute a “temporary traffic control” that would be acceptable on the airport side of things that would stop cut-through traffic from arriving near all of this? Wouldn’t anything that would stop traffic exiting southbound to get on Rt. 1 north or south or onto Crystal Drive also have to stop every other type of associated traffic, including not just rental cars but people doing pick up/drop off, ride shares, and taxis?


There’s this too:
“Traffic attempting to use George Washington Parkway to access Route 1 at the airport would use the airport access roads. Movements are currently discouraged using speed humps, constrained roadway widths, and low speed limits.“

One can easily see the traffic leaving work and headed southbound not bearing off on the exits for Clark Street or Route 1 but getting off on the parkway and exiting at the airport, especially as “low speed limits” may not be much of a deterrent as traffic crawls along every other roadway.