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Following months of negotiations, the City of Alexandria announced on Monday, March 27 that they've cut off talks related to the Potomoac Yard Entertainment District that would have led to the teams heading from DC into Virginia.
It has been a source of consternation among sports fans, residents, and politicians for weeks.
"We negotiated a framework for this opportunity in good faith and participated in the process in Richmond in a way that preserved our integrity," officials said. "We trusted this process and are disappointed in what occurred between the Governor and General Assembly.
"We engaged in substantial community engagement over the past months that informed our negotiations and would have made the proposal even better for our community."
Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson released a video following the announcement that talks had ceased regarding the proposal.
The $2 billion dollar plan for a sports and entertainment complex in Potomac Yard was spearheaded by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who faced backlash and was displeased when the negotiations ended on Wednesday.
"Virginians deserve better," he said. "A one-of-a-kind project bringing world-class athletes and entertainment, creating 30,000 jobs and $12 billion in economic activity went up in smoke. This transformational project would have driven investment to every corner of the Commonwealth.
"This should have been our deal and our opportunity."
Not everyone was as adamant as the governor, with Sen. L. Louise Lucas taking to Twitter to celebrate the decision after being openly opposed to the deal.
"We will continue to pursue economic opportunities that improve our quality of life and economic health," officials added.
"Alexandria welcomes commercial investment, and our residents, businesses, and stakeholders deserve the chance to make educated decisions about how we continue to welcome new businesses to our city."
No stranger to social media, owner Ted Leonsis took to X at a curious time to boast about recent attendance spikes at Capital One Arena as news of the deal falling thorugh leaked out.
"Personal and political agendas drove awaya deal with no upfront general fund money and no tax increases that created tens of thousands of new jobs and billions in revenue for Virginia," Youngkin continued. "I'd like to thank Ted Leonsis and the Monumental team, the City of Alexandria, JBG Smith, and countless other partners for their professionalism, belief in Virginia, and fortitude.
"Congratulations to Monumental for striking a great deal, I'm sorry you won't be in Virginia."
This is a developing story. Check Daily Voice for updates.
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