After multiple reports indicated the Washington Capitals and Wizards are on the verge of announcing a plan to move into a new arena in Northern Virginia, the mayor of Washington, D.C. said DC Council has approved spending $500 million toward an $800-million renovation project for Capital One Arena.
"This proposal represents our best and final offer and is the next step in partnering with (the teams) to breathe new life into the neighbourhood and to keep the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals where they belong – in Washington, DC," Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement on Tuesday.
Hours earlier, Adrian Wojnarowski reported Ted Leonsis, the owner of the teams, will attend a news conference on Wednesday morning with Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin in Alexandria, Va.
Scott Abraham of 7NewsDC, Washington's ABC affiliate, said Virginia lawmakers approved a plan Monday to build a sports and mixed-use campus. He said the Virginia general assembly and the city still have to approve the plan.
Capital One Arena, the current home to the teams, opened in 1997.
The drive from Capital One Arena to Alexandria takes about 20-30 minutes.
The Wizards and Capitals wouldn't be the only major professional teams to play outside their respective states or districts.
The New York Giants and Jets, for example, both play in New Jersey.
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