Alexandria might be getting an arena and the NIMBYs are assembling
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Spotted just hours after Wednesday's announcement. Photo: Mimi Montgomery/Axios
Alexandria residents have some thoughts about the news that a new Wizards and Capitals arena and entertainment district could be coming to Potomac Yard.
The big picture: This swath of Alexandria has already seen much change recently — this year, Amazon opened phase one of its HQ2 just down Route 1 and the Potomac Yard Metro station launched; meanwhile, Virginia Tech expects to open its Innovation Campus next year.
- It also comes on the heels of a local debate around density and development — last month, Alexandria voted to end single-family zoning, which opponents worried would create overcrowding and overburden local infrastructure.
The intrigue: In an area where anti-zoning signs are already staked into yards, the possibility of a huge, expensive development is like a bat signal for NIMBY action — or, excuse us, NIMPYs (Not In My Potomac Yard).
- Cue protests during Wednesday's press conference announcing the plan, with signs that read "Houses not Hockey" and "Moms Against Monumental."
- Some very nimble neighbors worked quickly to post signs in nearby Del Ray, urging opponents to contact Alexandria's mayor.
- Others posted on social media, asking the real, hard-hitting question: What will happen to Target and Total Wine?!?
And during a Del Ray Citizens Association Zoom meeting Wednesday night, over 400 attendees tuned in to watch members question Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson about a potential arena's effect on traffic, parking, taxes, public safety, and, yes, the future of the beloved Target.
- Meanwhile, the Zoom chat section popped off as attendees overwhelmingly expressed ire with what they saw as a decision that would negatively impact Alexandria.
Meanwhile, locals debated the pros and cons of a potential deal and aired their grievances via the modern agora of NIMBYism: the Nextdoor app.
- Opponents worried that the arena could increase traffic along an already congested Route 1, overburden the new Metro station, make parking difficult, drive up housing prices, and cause jumps in crime, according to Nextdoor posts reviewed by Axios.
- Some Nextdoor posters questioned why, after a zoning debate centered on creating more affordable housing, the city would opt to instead develop a large, expensive sports complex. (Of note: The released renderings do include residential additions.)
- Others were concerned about an influx of out-of-town, game-attending fans descending upon Del Ray's hyper-local, Stars Hollow-esque main strip.
Flashback: This isn't the first time this area has been in the midst of a hotly contested arena debate: In the early '90s, there were talks of moving D.C.'s football team to Potomac Yard.
- But the plan was killed thanks to protests from local officials and residents, who cited concerns over the cost and effect on traffic.
Yes, but: Not everyone hates the deal! Plenty of residents are excited about the economic development it could bring, the value it could add to their homes, and the idea of simply being able to walk to a basketball or hockey game.
- Wilson called the potential arena "a significant net positive" for the city, saying the deal would include a 40-year lease and a non-relocation agreement with Monument, as well as funds for arena revitalization so that it wouldn't undergo the same fate as Capitol One.
- And even a few brave souls dive-bombed between the angry messages of the Del Ray Citizens Association Zoom to type out their excitement over a potential backyard arena.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to add details from the Del Ray Citizens Association Zoom.