WASHINGTON WIZARDS NEW PRACTICE FACILITY GOOD OR BAD FOR WASHINGTON D.C. - ALL-MET ELITE

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

 NEW PRACTICE FACILITY

 GOOD OR BAD

FOR

WASHINGTON D.C. ?

 ALL-MET ELITE

 

Mayor Bowser announced last week a tentative deal with the company that owns the Wizards and Mystics to build a $56.3 million sports and entertainment complex on the east campus of the former St. Elizabeths hospital near the Congress Heights Metro. The District would absorb about 90 percent of the cost while Ted Leonsis, majority owner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, would pay $5 million (the equivalent of lease payments over 19 years) and commit to $10 million in community investments. Under the plan, the Wizards would practice in a new state-of-the-art training facility, and the Mystics would play in a 5,000-seat arena that would also be used for non-sports events, including concerts.

 

Why is a profitable sports operation putting so little capital into the venture? How does the public benefit from professional basketball players having new practice facilities? There’s also the question of whether, if the District is willing to invest tens of millions of dollars in Congress Heights, is this the best use, or if some other facility would better serve the needs of Ward 8 residents.