Washington, D.C
Plan to welcome two pro sports teams to Virginia is ‘bad,’ opposition group says – Virginia Mercury
ALEXANDRIA — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Wizards and Capitals, are facing strong opposition to their proposal to move the teams to Northern Virginia from residents on both sides of the Potomac River in the commonwealth and Washington D.C.
On Thursday morning, a group made up of some city of Alexandria residents and their D.C. cohorts gathered to express their concerns about the proposal’s perceived lack of transparency and the negative impacts on taxpayers and their quality of life.
“We feel very strongly that the arena should stay in D.C., the Capitals and Wizards should stay in D.C., and that the citizens of Alexandria, Virginia should not pay a billion dollars to a billionaire to finance his project,” said Andrew Macdonald, former vice mayor of the city of Alexandria, Thursday morning outside the Potomac Yard Metrorail station with a coalition of residents in opposition. “It’s a bad financial deal — bad for the city, bad for Virginia.”
Virginia lawmakers are expected to meet next Wednesday for the first time this year to discuss hundreds of pieces of proposed legislation, some of which have not been published yet, including a measure to create a new authority that would issue $2 billion in bonds to develop an entertainment district, to include a sports arena, a practice facility for the Wizards, a performing arts venue and an expanded esports facility.
Virginia announces plan to bring two pro sports teams to Alexandria
The plan
On Dec. 13, Youngkin was joined by members of his administration and Monumental Sports and Entertainment to unveil plans to create a $2 billion entertainment district in Alexandria along the Potomac River.
The proposed district would be adjacent to the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus near Amazon HQ2 with access to air, bus and rail services.
City of Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson, said in a recent newsletter to residents that the proposal will “catalyze thousands of units of new housing, including a large infusion of committed affordable units, the creation of a new school, parks, and more.”
Wilson added that the proposal will also provide almost a billion dollars, minimum, in permanent annual economic output for Alexandria.
If a deal were to be reached, the pro teams’ owner Monumental Sports and Entertainment would have a 40-year lease of the site and would repay the bonds annually through rent payments, arena parking revenues, district naming rights and incremental taxes generated by the development. The company would also invest $403 million into the proposed project, and Alexandria would contribute $56 million toward the construction of the performing arts venue and $50 million for an underground parking facility.
Wilson said Alexandria has increasingly relied on real estate tax revenue over the past couple of decades from either residential taxpayers or the owners of residential multi-family buildings.
Today, he said only 19% of the revenue collected is from the commercial tax base.
“That leaves us in a place where today residents of Alexandria are footing a larger percentage of the cost of their government than they ever have,” Wilson said. “The trajectory that we have seen over the past two decades shows no sign of abating in the future. The only true way to change this trajectory is through economic development.”
Opposition, concerns
Macdonald, one of the coalition leaders of area residents, said it’s a “laudable” goal to grow the commercial tax base to reduce property taxes, but is uncertain the arena project will address the matter.
“If this is not a financially stable project, which we don’t think it is, you’re not going to be creating more commercial revenue in a way that’s going to benefit the town or reduce property taxes for homeowners,” Macdonald said.
Macdonald and others at Thursday’s press conference outside the Potomac Yard Metrorail station said they are also upset with the lack of transparency, as the governor’s administration and local leaders failed to consult residents. The proposal also doesn’t address impacts on the environment of the area, which residents said has a history of flooding. They also voiced transportation and traffic worries.
Residents on both sides of the Potomac River said the rail station may not be able to accommodate the influx of passengers.
For example, the Potomac Yard rail station has only two pairs of escalators and stairs for accessing the two rail lines, compared to the three rail lines at Gallery Place Chinatown underneath the teams’ current home at Capital Arena in Washington D.C.
At the same time, Metro is facing a $750 million shortfall with threats to jobs and services. The governor did not include any additional funding for Metro in his proposed budget announced last month.
Youngkin budget calls for income tax cuts, sales tax increases
The potential for increased traffic through Alexandria is also a concern.
“The mayor’s goal of forcing people into public transportation is very laudable and I think it’s something we wholeheartedly support, but the reality is, people are still going to drive,” said resident Shannon Curtis. “We can’t stop that and we have to deal with reality and the reality is, limited parking is going to force people into surrounding neighborhoods, it’s going to create a traffic boondoggle that is already a serious concern without the arena in this neighborhood.”
Residents also questioned how much Alexandria government and taxpayers will have to pay. Macdonald said he believes the coalition of residents will make a trip to Richmond to address lawmakers about the proposal.
“This [two] billion dollars is not coming out of the ether; it is affecting Virginia and what it can do in other ways,” Macdonald said. “You’re having to borrow this money … it affects your debt. So it does have an impact on other things.”
Legislators’ views
Lawmakers are not in total agreement with the proposed, seemingly lucrative proposal ahead of the General Assembly session, beginning on Jan. 10.
Newly elected Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, D-Alexandria, said in a statement she has not decided whether or not to support the proposal that rests inside her district and neighborhood, but is considering everyone’s views, concerns and questions about the proposal.
“I am concerned by the lack of detail from the governor about the transportation investments he plans to make and his lack of commitment to Metro funding,” said Bennett-Parker in a statement. “While there are many other factors to consider as well, the project absolutely would not work without a robust, functioning Metro system. I also want to be sure that care and attention would be paid to ensuring that our neighbors in Alexandria would not be displaced as a result of this development.”
She said the proposal would help diversify Alexandria’s tax revenue and help generate “much-needed” funds for affordable housing and education, and incorporate local businesses and workers.
“However, I will be weighing that against other considerations – including community input, state funding for Metro, and whether the project prioritizes and protects local workers and ensures fair wages,” Bennett-Parker said.
One of the Senate’s top influential Democrats, Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, told WAVY 10 following the governor’s budget presentation on Dec. 20 that ahead of the arena proposal she’s prioritizing Hampton Roads toll relief for drivers using the Downtown and Midtown tunnels between the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk. She was recently named chair of Senate Finance & Appropriations.
According to the latest toll rates, two-axle vehicles pay between $6.77 to $7.57 depending on the time of day, and $2.26 to $3.06 with an E-Z Pass. The price increases for heavy vehicles.
Rates could escalate until 2026, according to 13 News Now.
Lucas posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Anyone who thinks I am going to approve an arena in Northern Virginia using state tax dollars before we deliver on toll relief and for public schools in Hampton Roads must think I have dumbass written on my forehead.”
Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax, and Karrie Delaney, D-Fairfax, chairs of the Senate and House Committees, said last month they are still considering the proposal, but understand that, if passed, it could alter transportation significantly.
“I think the impact that venue is going to have on our transportation system is clear, and I think that if that program is to move forward … there’s still a lot of questions and everyone wants to make sure that we really understand where the money’s coming from, where it’s going, how exactly it’s going to work and if it is going to have any impact on taxpayers,” Delaney said. “But if we get to a place where we’ve worked through that, and there is an appetite to consider or support that project, I think it’s going to be completely tied to the investment in Metro because its location is going to put an excessive strain on the Route 1 corridor for cars, but then it’s also right at a Metro station.”
Boysko, who wants to make sure transit systems are funded adequately, predicted the governor would not put any money in his budget proposal for Metro immediately, but said lawmakers will negotiate with him and the administration through the session.
“But again, it is a non-starter for me for the project down in Alexandria if we do not have adequate funding for Metro and transportation,” Boysko said. “Schools, transportation, and mental health have to be at the top of the list before anything else, and so we will be ready to come to the table and work, but we want to see some progress on all these things.”
In a joint statement from Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the governor’s office, city of Alexandria and JBG SMITH, the groups are beginning to share their vision to “build a world-class” entertainment district and engage with the community to gain 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,” the joint statement reads. “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
Trump’s DC makeover frenzy bewilders locals and visitors: ‘It’s like we’re under occupation’
On the edge of Lafayette Square, a landmark park near the White House, a scuffed sign proclaimed: “We are making DC safe and beautiful.”
Julie, visiting Washington DC with her husband, Robert, to celebrate their recent marriage, was unconvinced. “The irony,” she said. “It’s neither safe, nor beautiful.”
A chain-link fence surrounded the square, closing the site off from the public as it underwent refurbishment on the orders of Donald Trump.
It is one of many locations across the city currently under renovation, or construction, as Trump tries to put his stamp on the capital in time for the US’s forthcoming 250th anniversary celebrations.
Local preservationists say Julie’s withering verdict is widely shared.
“It is a different city right now,” said Rebecca Miller, executive director of the DC Preservation League, a city heritage group. “There are visitors from out of town who are disappointed that they’re only here for a few days, and there’s so much construction going on at the moment.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for some people, and to have it marred down with not being able to access certain sites can be really disappointing.”
Among a flurry of expensive projects, the US president has ordered the East Wing of the White House demolished to make way for a massive ballroom. Recently disclosed figures reveal the work is projected to cost $600m, with half the bill footed by taxpayers, contradicting Trump’s claim that the price tag would be $400m and met by private donors.
The National Park Service has been restoring fountains across the city, too, making them flow once again in time for the country’s birthday.
The administration also commissioned a restoration of the reflecting pool on the National Mall, which links the Lincoln Memorial with the George Washington monument, to repair the effects of discoloring algae. And plans have been unveiled for a 250ft triumphal arch south of the Potomac River, near Arlington national cemetery, which critics say would transform Washington’s low-rise skyline for the worse.
A simple recitation of the projects does not convey the temporary air that this frenzy of renovations has bestowed upon a historic area that has long drawn tourists from across the world.
Until its recent completion, the reflecting pool was for weeks a site of frenetic activity from workers repainting and re-coating its surface. The view for visitors was obscured by a fence covered by black tarpaulin. (Upon completion of a project Trump said would turn the pool “American-flag blue”, algae turned the water green.)
The transitory aura is compounded by renovations on the neighboring Arlington Memorial Bridge, a neoclassical structure built in 1932 whose columns and gold statues are also covered by tarpaulin.
Nearby, two projects unconnected to the administration – a memorial to veterans of the 1990-1991 Gulf war, and the Potomac River tunnel project, an infrastructure scheme aimed at reducing sewage overflows – add to the building site atmosphere.
It is more intense still near the White House, which is overshadowed by a large crane.
In recent weeks, the area has resembled an exclusion zone, with extended areas previously open to the public – from the Ellipse south of the White House to Lafayette Square at the north and encompassing parts of Pennsylvania Avenue – sealed off.
Lafayette Square, a 7-acre site featuring fountains and statues of the heroes of the American revolution, forming part of the larger President’s Park, is subject to renovations carried out under a $17m contract awarded on a no-bids basis to Clark Construction, the same company undertaking the White House ballroom project.
Scenes of visitors – like Robert and Julie – squinting for a better view have become commonplace.
“Everything that I’ve seen is to honor Donald Trump, not America’s 250th anniversary,” said Robert, a retired US history professor at a private college in Brooklyn, who like Julie declined to provide a second name.
Trump’s claims of grandeur outstripped those of King George III, the British monarch at the time of the Declaration of Independence, Robert suggested. “We have the irony of a man who has the instincts of an absolute monarch presiding over the celebration of our separation from a constitutional monarch,” he said. “It’s quite something.”
A block away, on 17th Street, Norma Roth, a 62-year-old children’s book author from Tampa, gaped at scores of temporary toilets – known colloquially as “Porta Potties” – which were installed on the Ellipse for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on the White House’s South Lawn, which took place on 14 June, on Trump’s birthday.
“It’s so symbolic of what he’s doing to the country. It’s like he’s shitting all over our nation’s capital,” she said.
Wearing an “Elections Matter” T-shirt from a recent Bruce Springsteen concert, Roth called the exclusion area around the White House a denial of the free-speech values she taught her three children.
“They didn’t like George W Bush, but my husband and I explained to them what was meant by freedom: that you are allowed to protest and speak your mind,” she said. “So they stood in front of the White House and gave the thumbs down. You can’t do that now. It’s like we are under occupation.”
About a mile away, Mark, 68, a retired lawyer visiting Washington from his current home in Paris, took selfies at the reflecting pool, where he recalled being forced to stand during the 1976 bicentennial celebrations because of the vast crowds.
He voiced disappointment at the results of the recent work, costing $13.1m and leaving the surface water looking black under a slightly overcast light rather than the “American-flag blue” trumpeted by the president. “I don’t know if it’s a success or failure, but it doesn’t look as blue as I imagined,” he said.
Visitors were much rarer across the Potomac near the site of the proposed arch, which critics have dubbed the “Arc de Trump”, in mocking reference to Paris’s Arc de Triomphe.
Costing an estimated $100m, the arch would be built on a large roundabout that is now a busy traffic intersection. The few who passed expressed surprise and bemusement at the idea of the imposing structure.
Gabe Adame and his wife, Beth, both 43, from Corpus Christi in Texas and visiting the capital for the first time, reacted positively. “The whole area feels like a blank canvas and unfinished. It would be a good addition,” said Gabe, an instrumentation manager for an oil and natural gas company, who said he was a Trump supporter.
But Oliver, a 42-year-old worker for a nongovernment organization, said placing a towering structure at the gateway to the city could obscure more famous long-established landmarks. “I think it could be an obstruction to the main body of Washington, which is the George Washington monument,” he said. “The Lincoln Memorial has been with us for 150 years.”
That argument has been central to the objections of local heritage campaigners, who had until 15 June to make comment on the proposal under the planning schedule. “What is currently proposed does fundamentally cut off the sight line, unless you’re walking down the absolute center of Memorial Bridge,” said Miller, of the DC Preservation League.
About 600 letters of objection have been sent to the US Commission of Fine Arts, while congressional Democrats have introduced legislation to defund the project on the ground that it does not seek approval of Congress.
The White House argues that such approval is already granted under a 1925 report allowing for two 166-columns connected to the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
Miller dismissed that contention. “What they’re proposing is not the columns that were authorized for that design,” she said. “The columns [that were authorized] were on either side of the bridge, not on the traffic circle. It was designed in a very different way. That is not congressional authorization for them to build the arch.”
With large areas of the National Mall still cordoned off for the Great American State Fair, a 16-day exposition due to start on 25 June, Angie Clark, a molecular biologist from Salt Lake City visiting Washington for a scientific conference, complained of a “forbidding” atmosphere.
“I’ve been here many times before, and I have never imagined that I would be so completely locked out of everything,” she said. “It feels exclusive, and not in a good way. Maybe once the party starts up, it will be better.”
Dupont Circle closed for Pride weekend
Washington D.C. is preparing for major Pride festivities this weekend. But Dupont Circle will be closed for the celebrations after the National Park Service erected fences around the park.
WASHINGTON – The District is preparing for this weekend’s Pride festivities, erecting fencing around Dupont Circle on Friday.
The National Park Service says the fences are necessary for safety reasons. But those in the area say it will change the energy of the event.
What we know:
The U.S. Department of the Interior told FOX 5 that closing Dupont Circle this weekend is necessary to protect the community and the park, as officials try to curb vandalism and violence this Pride weekend.
Last year, officials initially announced they’d close Dupont Circle during World Pride, but eventually walked it back and let Dupont stay open. A few violent incidents occurred in the park and nearby, but it’s not clear if those were related to Pride.
But the Interior Department said other incidents, like gunfire in 2019, $175,000 worth of vandalism in 2023 and juvenile fights in 2024 are all contributing to their decision to close the circle this year.
What they’re saying:
Georgia Katinas is the general manager at Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse, which has been a gathering place for the LGBTQ community for decades. She said her great-aunt “was the original Ally. Super ahead of her time, really nonjudgmental and really held her hand out to the community and said, ‘You’re welcome here, I love you.’”
Karinas called Dupont Circle’s closure “disappointing,” but said “it’s worth preserving that beautiful architecture as well, so I hope the celebrations stay really positive and safe.”
Vincent Slatt, commissioner of the Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission, stressed the importance of losing the park during the celebrations.
“It’s important because it’s a free place,” Slatt said. “It’s a public place. It’s not paying to go to a bar, buying an expensive dinner, paying for tickets. This is a free place for neighbors to get together and enjoy each other’s company, and now we don’t have that.”
Why you should care:
For years, the Pride parade passed through Dupont Circle. Now, the route starts at 14th and T in Northwest, and heads down Pennsylvania Avenue.
What’s next:
This year’s parade starts at 3 p.m. on Saturday, and there will be a Pride block party in the community.
The National Park Service says the fences will stay up through Sunday night.
The Source: Information in this story is from the National Park Service.
Washington, D.C
National Geographic Explorers share their most memorable adventures ahead of new DC museum opening
From spending months alongside emperor penguins in Antarctica to photographing strange creatures in Ecuador’s cloud forests, National Geographic Explorers have witnessed some of the world’s most extraordinary sights.
Now, they hope a new museum here in Washington, D.C., will inspire visitors to embark on their own journeys of discovery.
The National Geographic Society rolled out its signature yellow carpet Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the new National Geographic Museum of Exploration, a 100,000-square-foot attraction that will officially open to the public on June 26. The immersive museum is located on the Society’s reimagined campus in downtown D.C. and is designed to bring visitors closer to the science, storytelling and exploration that have defined National Geographic for more than a century.
Director James Cameron was also among the notable guests who attended the yellow carpet celebration ahead of the museum’s opening.
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 16: (L-R) James Cameron and Jill Tiefenthaler attend the unveiling of National Geographic Museum of Exploration on June 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for National Geographic)
Ahead of the opening, NBC Washington asked several National Geographic Explorers about the most memorable experiences of their careers and what they hope visitors will take away from the new museum.
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 16: Bertie Gregory attends the unveiling of National Geographic Museum of Exploration on June 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for National Geographic)
For wildlife filmmaker and explorer Bertie Gregory, one adventure stands above the rest.
“I think my all-time best encounter was in Antarctica,” Gregory said. “We spent two months camped a mile from an emperor penguin colony and it is exciting and noisy and stinky when the wind is blowing in a certain direction, but to be alongside this animal that is so beautiful and so wild was really special.”
Gregory believes the museum’s greatest impact will be the inspiration it sparks in future generations.
“I think this museum is such an incredible celebration of exploration that National Geographic explorers have done to date, but what I’m most excited about is what that place is going to inspire,” he said. “Kids, passersby and just anyone who goes in this building is going to come out feeling really, really stoked.”
“I’m excited to see how this place evolves because it’s going to be constantly changing.”
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 16: Anand Varma attends the unveiling of National Geographic Museum of Exploration on June 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for National Geographic)
Explorer and photographer Anand Varma recalled a trip to Ecuador that introduced him to some of the strangest creatures he has ever encountered.
“One of the most memorable is a place on an island in Ecuador, a rainforest called a cloud forest with some of the craziest bugs I’ve ever seen in my life,” Varma said.
Among the wildlife he encountered were metallic purple click beetles, hummingbirds with tails several times longer than their bodies and horned frogs.
“Just the weirdest animals I’ve ever seen,” he said.
Varma hopes museum visitors leave with a renewed sense of curiosity.
“I hope visitors will feel a sense of wonder that makes them curious about all the secrets the world has left to share.”
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 16: Babak Tafreshi attends the unveiling of National Geographic Museum of Exploration on June 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for National Geographic)
For explorer and astrophotographer Babak Tafreshi, some of his most memorable experiences happened much closer to home.
“The U.S. National Parks, especially in Utah or Grand Teton in Wyoming, including Yosemite, were some of my most memorable experiences,” Tafreshi said.
As a photographer, he hopes visitors will appreciate the many elements that come together to tell a powerful story.
“Photography in general is based on four pillars — art, technique, moment and story,” he said. “The combination of all four is quite abundant in this museum.”
The Museum of Exploration features immersive exhibits that transport visitors into real-world expeditions and scientific discoveries. Its inaugural marquee exhibition, “Photo Ark: Animals of Earth,” showcases the work of National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore and his ongoing effort to document species around the globe. The museum will also feature educational experiences, dining options and an outdoor nighttime attraction.
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 16: A view of a light show during the unveiling of National Geographic Museum of Exploration on June 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for National Geographic)
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