Capital One Arena will soon receive a significant renovation, as Monumental Sports & Entertainment has announced $40 million in upgrades for the venue.
Under the current schedule, the privately financed renovations will commence at the conclusions of the 2017-18 seasons for both the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals. All of the upgrades should be in place by the time the two teams return to the venue in the fall for their 2018-19 seasons.
“Capital One Arena is part of the heartbeat of Washington, DC,” said Ted Leonsis, founder, Chairman, majority owner and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment said in a press statement. “We are incredibly proud to be making this investment in a building that has played a key role in shaping our city, and that has been home to so many great memories for people across the DMV. These upgrades will ensure that the fan experience at Capital One Arena remains second to none.”
The upgrades at Capital One Arena, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, will result in changes to multiple areas of the fan experience. Throughout the venue, there will be new padded seats with cupholders.
Along with the seating upgrades, there will be changes to the concourses on the 100 and 400 levels. These changes will include overhauled decor, flooring and lighting. In addition, Capital One Arena will soon feature a new sound system, two new premium lounge areas, a renovated PwC Club, redesigned concessions with revamped offerings, and improved digital displays and wayfinding signage. Another renovation will affect the flagship merchandise store. Once this renovation is completed, the space will be updated and the store will be open on a year-round basis.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment has also announced plans for new cornerstone partnerships, with six cornerstone partners expected to own designated zones throughout the arena that utilize digital displays to engage with event spectators. In addition, there are plans in place for the Monumental360 program, an initiative that collects data to deliver a more personalized experience to fans.
Capital One Arena originally opened as the MCI Center in 1997. Capital One was announced as the venue’s new naming rights partner last summer.
Renderings courtesy Monumental Sports and Entertainment.