An idea that Governor Glenn Youngkin hoped to cement his legacy on has finally passed a point of no return.
The proposal to move Washington, D.C.’s professional sports teams – the Wizards and Capitals – to Alexandria’s Potomac Yard neighborhood has been killed by the City of Alexandria. In a video posted to the City of Alexandria’s official account on X – formerly Twitter – Mayor Justin Wilson announced that the city had ended negotiations.
City Statement: The City of Alexandria has ended negotiations related to the Potomac Yard Entertainment District opportunity and the proposal will not move forward.
Learn more: https://t.co/EKFwjFfkmVhttps://t.co/Uj0wnntwKx— AlexandriaVAGov (@AlexandriaVAGov) March 27, 2024
The Richmond Times – Dispatch reported:
The city’s statement said: “We trusted this process and are disappointed in what occurred between the Governor and General Assembly.”
Youngkin followed with a statement that blamed legislative leaders. Democrats lead the Senate and the House of Delegates.
“Virginians deserve better. A one-of-a-kind project bringing world-class athletes and entertainment, creating 30,000 jobs and $12 billion in economic activity just went up in smoke,” Youngkin said.
“This transformational project would have driven investment to every corner of the Commonwealth. This should have been our deal and our opportunity, all the General Assembly had to do was say: ‘thank you, Monumental, for wanting to come to Virginia and create $12 billion of economic investment, let’s work it out.’
Youngkin’s proposal was met with opposition not only by Democrats but also by members of his own political party. Last month, Northern Virginia’s Republican leaders signed on to an op-ed opposing the stadium proposal.
