Chinatown businesses concerned Capital One Arena renovations will cause summer slump
Chinatown businesses concerned Capital One Arena renovations will bring slump
Major renovations are about to begin at Capital One Arena. Phase Two of their $800 million project is starting this summer but businesses are stressed about the coming slowdown.
WASHINGTON - Major renovations are about to begin at Capital One Arena. Phase two of the $800 million project is starting this summer but businesses are stressed about the coming slowdown.
Businesses Voice Concerns
What they're saying:
Restaurants and retailers are worried. Last summer, there were 40 concerts at Capital One Arena, meaning 40 nights of thousands of people shopping and going out to eat.
With no events scheduled from now until September, they're hoping they can survive.
"The big loss is that you 40 days of dark nights when you have a large arena like this that is closed. It just has an impact on the whole neighborhood and Chinatown," said Daisuke Utagawa, a partner at Daikaya Restaurant on 6th and G Streets in Chinatown.
They've been directly across from Capital One Arena for more than a decade. This summer will be a tough one, with phase two of the arena’s six-phase renovation project underway.
An Uphill Battle
Big picture view:
Without a packed calendar of concerts and events, business owners in the area are trying to find ways to creatively pivot to make up for the loss in foot traffic this year. Things like special events and dinners.
They're also dealing with rising food, rent and labor costs, fewer people going out to eat and the impacts of federal layoffs, so this is just adding another layer to an already challenging climate for their small businesses.
Meanwhile, Mayor Muriel Bowser included just over $1 million dollars in support for local businesses during renovations in her fiscal year 2026 budget.
The Downtown Business District is also considering festivals and markets to help out.
"We want to work with the businesses, the city and the community to think about — how can we activate and keep this community active all summer long so that we're continually bringing people to enjoy all that Chinatown has to offer?" said Gerren Price with the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District.
Looking Ahead
What's next:
The project is expected to be done in about three years, so this is just the first of several summers that Chinatown will be dealing with a potential slowdown. They’re hoping locals and tourists will come out to support the area, even without concerts at Capital One.