Events DC, the city’s entertainment and sports agency, released another set of renderings yesterday for the forthcoming Wizards practice facility and home to the Mystics to be built in Congress Heights.
The new images show the facility’s exterior as being more aligned with the existing red-bricked buildings that will surround it on the St. Elizabeth East campus. But the building will be made of large scale brick-toned metal panels to give it a more contemporary look.
New plans also include more community benefits such as food stations along Oak Drive that will sell to-go and fast casual options. The vendors will operate independently of the arena so patrons access them even when an event isn’t taking place.
While some neighbors, activists, and sports fans have voiced skepticism of the project, developers Marshall Moya Design and Rossetti are inviting community members to take part in the design process for the imaginatively named “Entertainment and Sports Arena.” Since releasing the first renderings in September, they’ve received feedback from interested parties “and have taken much of their input and incorporated it into what we believe will be a tremendous building,” Jerry Attia, a principal at Rossetti, said in a release.
Events DC announced in September that the 4,200-seat arena “will act as more than a professional basketball arena and training facility, but as a multi-functional, flexible space that combines sports, entertainment and community programming with neighborhood-serving resources.” It will have “lounges to encourage pre- and post-training camaraderie, respite, and recovery.” And other uses for the arena could include boxing, e-sports, and concerts.
The budget for the project grew to $65 million this summer to better accommodate additional forms of entertainment, Events DC President Gregory O’Dell said. The $10 million increase will be footed by the sports and entertainment authority (which is largely funded by a hotel tax) rather than Ted Leonsis’ Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which was already paying less than 10 percent of the original $55 million budget. The new plans also feature 800 fewer seats than originally proposed.
D.C. has promised that the arena will generate $90 million in new tax revenue over 19 years, more than 380,000 annual visitors per year, and more than 900 temporary and permanent jobs for nearby residents.
Construction for the facility is scheduled to start in 2017, with a completion date of fall 2018. Events DC will run the facility once it’s built.
Events DC and the developers plan to continue engaging community stakeholders during the design process, O’Dell said. “We are steadfast in providing a state-of-the-art entertainment arena and training facility for the Washington Wizards—but also an economic engine for the community and an amazing experience for visitors from around the city.”
