Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis has put a plan in motion to move the team to nearby Virginia, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The team would play out of a proposed new arena complex and entertainment district in Alexandria, Virginia, which is just a 20-minute drive from downtown Washington D.C.
Virginia state lawmakers voted to approve the arena project on Monday, according to a report from the Washington Post. A final vote of the state’s full general assembly is needed to pass the project.
The proposal is for the construction of an 8,000-square-foot campus site in Alexandria. The project could break ground by 2025 and be ready to go by 2028, per ABC7 in Virginia. The NHL’s Washington Capitals would also make the move.
The Washington Wizards have played at their current home, Capital One Arena, since it opened in 1997.
The team has long struggled to engage their fan base, with their arena often full of the opposing teams’ fans, especially when they play popular teams like the Lakers, Celtics and Bulls.
It remains to be seen whether they will have any more luck in Virginia, but it’s clearly bound to be a big upgrade in terms of arena quality.
Leonsis and Washington D.C. city officials had previously explored the city potentially contributing to arena renovations, with Leonsis hoping to secure $600 million in public money.
City officials had been working to find a way to keep the Wizards and Capitals in downtown D.C.
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