Virginia lawmakers weigh in on possibility of new Monumental Sports stadium in Potomac Yard
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Just a day after the big announcement that the Capitals and Wizards are moving to Alexandria, some area lawmakers are raising questions about aspects of the plan – namely, transportation.
The transportation concerns don’t come as much of a shock. Metro is facing a massive budget crisis and Potomac Yard was chosen as the arena site because of the brand new station here but the concerns are even broader than that.
FOX 5 spoke with several state officials who cautioned the announcement with Monumental Sports owner Ted Leonsis should only be viewed as a first step, not the end of the journey.
They say the approval of the arena has a long road ahead.
Both Virginia senators, who are both former governors, support the project but have concerns over transportation needs and what one called a lack of outreach.
"The presence of the Potomac Yard Metro site is a real key feature of this proposal and obviously we’re having a discussion right now about Metro funding and that Metro might have a funding deficient that can only be addressed by cooperation between Maryland, D.C. and Virginia," said Sen. Tim Kaine.
"I think those goals will be met but there will be a lot of questions that will need to be answered by both the city and the Commonwealth if this project is to go forward," Sen. Mark Warner said.
Already, some Hampton Roads lawmakers have launched warnings.
Democratic Sen. Louise Lucas posted on X saying that "while some people want sports stadium, I want tolls to disappear from Hampton Roads."
David Ramadan, a former Republican delegate and current George Mason University professor, warns that old rivalries in the Commonwealth could come into play.
"Northern Virginia always resents the rest of Virginia for contributing the most to the budget but getting less than the contribution the rest of Virginia resents northern Virginia because northern Virginia has the prosperity," Ramadans said.
The clock and the calendar are already a factor. The 2024 Virginia General Assembly is set to kick off Jan. 7 in Richmond.
That’s just 24 days away and lawmakers will have to get to work if they want to meet that planned groundbreaking for 2025.