With the hopes of reimagining Gallery Place and Chinatown into an entertainment district, the Council of the District of Columbia approved $515 million in appropriations on Tuesday to help transform Capital One Arena. However, some councilmembers are wary after seeing Mayor Muriel Bowser‘s provisional agreement with Ted Leonsis, the CEO of Monumental Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals.
The vote on the measure, made without the chance for public comment, came a day before Bowser finalized the city’s fiscal 2025 budget. Balancing the budget was a challenge, with the mayor implementing a sales tax increase and cutting programs for job training and the early development fund. However, funds for the Capital One Arena’s renovation will come from the district’s capital budget.
“We are grateful to the Council for
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