We have the renderings for the new Washington Wizards practice facility and Washington Mystics home court, as Events DC unveiled the latest plans for the $65 million facility in the District of Columbia’s Ward 8.
The multipurpose Entertainment & Sports Arena “will act as more than a professional basketball arena and training facility, but as a multi-functional, flexible space that combines sports, entertainment and community programming with neighborhood-serving resources,” according to a press release from Events DC, the governmental developer of the project. Designed by District-based Marshall Moya Design and sports architecture firm Rosetti, the space will serve as more than just a basketball facility: it will be able to host concerts and other community events.
“Our city deserves an arena that is iconic and this project will fulfill that vision,” Events DC Board Chairman Max Brown said in a press statement. “The Entertainment and Sports Arena is designed to celebrate and strengthen the historic Congress Heights neighborhood as well as provide an unmatched attendee experience.”
The project has been controversial in the District of Columbia, where taxpayers will pick up the majority of the cost of the Washington Wizards practice facility, and the Wizards paying for a small share. In response, the city says the project will generate some $90 million in new tax revenue over 19 years, more than 350,000 annual visitors per year, and more than 900 temporary and permanent jobs.
The new facility is slated to open in the fall of 2018.
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