Washington, D.C

Alexandria residents form coalition to challenge Potomac Yard arena plan for DC teams

Published

6 months ago

January 4, 2024

Alexandria residents form coalition to challenge Potomac Yard arena plan for DC teams

POTOMAC YARD, Va. – A coalition of residents and community members in Alexandria are banning together against the proposal to move the Washington Capitals and Wizards to Virginia.

“The Coalition to Stop The Arena at Potomac Yard” was formed shortly after the tentative deal was announced in December, according to co-founder Andrew Macdonald.

The three major concerns shared by the group Thursday were over transparency, financial impacts, and transportation issues.

“We have a new metro station here. It doesn’t have the capacity to carry the number of people it should. Even if it did, people are going to drive and there’s not going to be anywhere to park,” Macdonald told FOX 5. “Mayor [Justin] Wilson says, ‘We’ll put 2,500 units underground.’ Here’s what’s going to happen, people are going to drive, they’re going to go to the neighborhoods, park there, and cause all sorts of traffic havoc.”

Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson appeared on FOX 5 Wednesday morning, one day before the press conference on Thursday.

Mayor Wilson addressed issues that have been shared by community members who have concerns over the proposal.

On the issue of transportation, Wilson said the city is prepared to work with residents to ensure the quality of life is not impacted negatively. They will encourage people to take public transit to the games, though Wilson said he recognizes people could opt to drive.

“I think big picture, right? We invested in the metro station because we wanted to diversify our revenue. We wanted to grow economically in Potomac Yard. We’ve actually planned a significant amount of density for Potomac Yard but the question in this post-pandemic world is what does that use look like?” Wilson said Wednesday. “We’re not building office buildings. We’re not building large office buildings even on top of the metro, so this is an opportunity to create those experimental uses. Those are the uses that cannot be virtualized that are going to bring people to Potomac Yard, help drive our economy but ultimately be viable for a long time to come.”

Shannon Curtis, a board member with the coalition, said she’s convinced the area’s infrastructure was built to support both fans and residents on game days.

“I had no idea if this happened, how I was going to get home from work in the evening when 20,000 people were headed in the same direction,” Curtis said. “I think a lot of us feel the transportation concerns are insurmountable. You can’t put more freeways into Alexandria. There’s no room to expand what we already have.”

The coalition stressed on Thursday that they felt the tentative plan was a “backroom” deal and unveiled to the public without enough time for the public actually to weigh in.

Under the tentative deal, which still needs to be approved by the Virginia General Assembly, the WNBA team Mystics would move from their current arena in Southeast D.C. and play at the Capital One Arena in Chinatown.

Ron Moten with the group Don’t Mute D.C. was also at the event Thursday.

“I would just go to Washington, D.C. to tell the people of Alexandria that everything that glitters is not gold,” he told FOX 5. “We had an owner that came to Southeast D.C. and had D.C. spend $65 million for a facility that was supposed to spark growth just like they’re talking here. Along with that, 15 Black businesses — some inside the area, some right outside the area — were given some hope, and just like this, you said it wasn’t good enough. You left my city hanging.”

FOX 5 received the following joint statement from Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the City of Alexandria, and JBG SMITH:

“We are at the beginning of a process to share the vision to build a world-class Entertainment District and engage with the Alexandria community and listen to their feedback. Alexandria residents are rightfully proud of their city and can be assured we will listen to the needs and concerns of the community. Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the City of Alexandria, and JBG SMITH look forward to partnering with community members in Alexandria and fans across the Greater Washington Area to bring to life a collective vision for Potomac Yard and create exceptional experiences and regional economic growth for decades to come.”

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Washington, D.C

Vandals tear down Gaza hostage photos outside of Rep. Brad Schneider's Capitol Hill office

Published

4 hours ago

July 5, 2024

Press Room

Vandals tear down Gaza hostage photos outside of Rep. Brad Schneider's Capitol Hill office

WASHINGTON — Vandals on July 4 tore photos of hostages in Gaza off the wall outside of the Capitol Hill office of Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Illlinois, his office said on Friday.

A photo Schneider posted on the social media website X showed how the ripped-off pictures littered the hallway of the Cannon House Office Building. The hostages were kidnapped Oct. 7 in Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.

The vandalism comes in the wake of protesters loudly demonstrating outside of Schneider’s Highland Park home in the middle of the night last weekend.

Schneider is one of the most pro-Israel members of Congress.

Schneider said in a statement, “My Capitol office was vandalized yesterday in a vile act of hate in which the posters of the more than 100 people still held hostage in Gaza (including 8 Americans) were ripped from the wall, shredded and tossed across the hallway. This was a shameful act on any day, but especially on July 4, our country’s Independence Day. Sadly, it was but one of many hateful, un-American actions that took place across the country on the day we celebrate freedom and democracy.

“I’ve been disgusted by the videos and reports of individuals calling July 4th a ‘terrorist holiday’ and burning American flags. It’s not just happening at my office in Washington, D.C.,” Schneider said.

“More than 700 miles from the Capitol, my home was targeted last weekend at 2:30AM by approximately 50 masked demonstrators banging drums, blowing horns and screaming antisemitic chants. The same groups that were at my house earlier in the week marched through Chicago on July 4th, not calling for peace, but rather condemning the United States of America,” he said.

“These actions don’t advance peace. Instead, they play directly into the hands of Hamas terrorists enabling them to continue to hold hostage not only those they kidnapped from Israel, but all civilians in Gaza as well.”

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Washington, D.C

Washington DC sports betting handle reaches record $35.4m in May

Published

9 hours ago

July 5, 2024

Press Room

Washington DC sports betting handle reaches record $35.4m in May

The sports betting handle increased by 183 per cent year-on-year.

US.- Washington DC’s sports betting handle was $35.4m in May, up 183 per cent compared to May 2023, establishing a new record for the District. Revenue was $5.4m, also a new high, and tax receipts reached $544,600.

FanDuel’s new sports betting app for the DC Lottery dominated the market, taking 84 per cent of Washington DC’s sports wagers. The DC Lottery saw wagers of $30.6m, with $29.7m coming through the new FanDuel app and $898,671 from the old GambetDC app. Caesars followed with $2.7m worth of wagers. BetMGM took $1.6m.

The Washington DC Council 2025 budget paved the way for a competitive online sports betting market ending FanDuel’s position as the only platform available citywide. The Budget Support Act, which still needs mayor Muriel Bowser’s signature and a passive 30-day congressional review, will allow BetMGM (Nationals Park) and Caesars Sportsbook (Capital One Arena) to expand their current offerings beyond their brick-and-mortar sportsbooks and respective exclusion zones.

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Washington, D.C

WTOP goes out on the water with DC police’s harbor patrol – WTOP News

Published

16 hours ago

July 5, 2024

Press Room

WTOP goes out on the water with DC police’s harbor patrol – WTOP News

WTOP gets an inside look at the work done by D.C. police’s harbor patrol unit on one of its busiest days of the year, July Fourth.

Lt. Andrew Horos with the harbor patrol said the summertime is busy season for his time.
(WTOP/Mike Murillo)

WTOP/Mike Murillo

a harbor patrol unit officer steers — (WTOP/Mike Murillo)

a view of the washington monument from the water — Oftentimes, the unit helps boaters in need who are anchored near monuments, such as the pictured National Monument.
(WTOP/Mike Murillo)

Lt. Andrew Horos looks out at the water — (WTOP/Mike Murillo)

D.C. police’s Harbor Patrol Unit calls July Fourth its Super Bowl on the water. The holiday comes during the specialized team’s busy season.

“Spring and summer is by far our busiest,” said Lt. Andrew Horos, with the harbor patrol.

Ahead of fireworks on Independence Day, Horos said the team patrols the waters and makes sure the many boaters who anchor near the monuments are safe.

“We’re constantly working with the community to ensure safe boating practices,” Horos said.

Sometimes, the patrol lets visiting boaters know about parts of the water which might be off limits during a special event, or for other reasons. Other times, a call may involve an officer getting into scuba gear and jumping in the water to save a life.

“All the all the members on the Harbor Patrol Unit are dive certified, so they always have it ready in case there’s an operation where they have to go underwater to for whatever reason,” he said.

For rescues, Horos said many take place farther north on the Potomac, past the Chain Bridge, an area where the department patrols.

“When you get up there where there’s a lot of undertow and a lot of dangerous currents,” he said. “We have a lot of issues up there and safety issues.”

He said they get calls for people who fall into the water from boats or, in some cases, people net fishing — which is illegal in the area — will fall in while trying to free nets that get caught on the rocks.

There are also the calls for people in mental crisis who might also end up in the water.

During the hot months, another problem is drinking and boating in the heat.

“We see a lot of medical emergencies out here,” he said. “You see a lot of people consuming a lot of alcohol, not enough water.”

His advice for boaters and those riding on boats: Drink plenty of water, and operate slowly and safely in the city. Boat operators should discourage passengers from jumping into the water, especially when the sun goes down.

Finally, he said to always wear a personal flotation device. Life jackets make it easier for rescuers to see you in the water.

That advice holds even if you’re a great swimmer, he said.

“If you fall and you hurt yourself, or you become unconscious and fall into the water, you’re not going to float,” Horos said.

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