Initial designs for the new practice facility and arena to be shared by the Wizards and WNBA Mystics show a long-slung red brick building with a sloping stainless steel roof, windows with views into the concourse and exterior wall spaces reserved for sponsor displays. The practice facility is tied to a 4,200-seat multi-purpose arena that will serve as the new home of the Mystics and a potential D-League team. Events DC, the local convention and sports authority that owns and operates the facility, is developing the project for Monumental Sports & Entertainment, owner of the two teams. The authority shared the early renderings with THE DAILY before tonight’s meeting in DC to officially unveil the images. Sports architect Rossetti has teamed with local firm Marshall Moya Design for the $65M project spanning 118,000 square feet, including the 45,000-square-foot practice facility. The site is where the old St. Elizabeth’s hospital once stood in the southeast region of DC. The practice facility itself has training and conditioning spaces to be shared between the teams, as well as two practice courts on the building’s east side next to the arena bowl. The arena portion is a split bowl with retractable seats behind the stage for setup in basketball mode. The venue is flexible enough to hold concerts, boxing and e-sports competitions, said Rossetti Senior Lead Design Tony Reiner. Events DC President & CEO Greg O’Dell said, “We studied the right configuration for the arena with the minimum number of events to optimize a niche market. There are several other venues in the area with 1,000-3,000 seats, but only a few in the mid-range of 5,000 seats.” Events DC as part of its deal with Monumental Sports controls 60% of the events booked at the arena, with the remaining dates reserved for Mystics games and the pending D-League club.
RETAIL AREA AS PART OF PLAN: Apart from the sports component, the building will incorporate five retail bays, designed with garage-style doors, for businesses operating on non-event days. On game days, the retail portion would be closed. “The big picture for this project to be a catalyst to set the tone for future development for Ward 8 and Congress Heights,” Reiner said. “The idea is to create a sense of shared pride with the community and the franchises.” The project timeline calls for the final design to be completed by the end of this year. Construction will start next spring and be completed in '18, O’Dell said.
