Virginia Sen. Lucas doubles down on opposition to Potomac Yard arena plan
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A top Virginia lawmaker is doubling down on her opposition to the Potomac Yard arena plan that would bring the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals to northern Virginia, calling it terrible for taxpayers.
State Sen. Louise Lucas, who holds great sway in the General Assembly as chair of the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee, said last year that legislation underpinning the deal negotiated by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin was "not ready for prime time" and would not receive a hearing in her committee.
Over the weekend, Lucas dealt another blow to the legislation. "If you would read the latest reports and almost all of the newspapers, everybody agrees that it’s not a good deal for Virginia, and we’re not gonna let billionaires build their fortunes on the backs of our taxpayer dollars," Lucas said in a idea posted to social media. "As you know, they’re talking about going public at some point, after taxpayer dollars has gotten them to the point that they want to get to, and under my watch, I say hell no."
Virginia Sen. Louise Lucas
FOX 5’s Maureen Umeh reports that Lucas has said her concerns center on the arena’s financing. The deal would make way for both teams to relocate to the northern Virginia area. The site would include an arena, as well as a new Wizards practice facility, new hotels, a convention center and more.
The proposed new site in Alexandria would be just miles from where the teams currently play in Washington.
The legislation currently pending would set up a sports and entertainment authority that would issue the bonds that will help pay for the project. The bonds would be repaid through a mix of revenues from the arena and broader development surrounding it, including a ticket tax, parking fees, concession taxes, income taxes levied on athletes performing at the arena, and naming rights from the district, among other sources.
READ MORE: VA lawmakers raise red flag on spending state money on new Wizards, Capitals arena
While no upfront state taxpayer dollars would go toward the project, the terms of the agreement would divert new tax revenues from the project to pay down the bonds, Umeh said.
On Thursday, representatives from a consulting firm will be on hand for a community discussion about the project. The public will be able to give feedback and ask more questions about the potential arena’s traffic impact.
You can register on the City of Alexandria’s website.