Poor arena conditions at the Royal Farms Arena are the reason the Washington Wizards have not played a basketball game in Baltimore since 2014. Renovations to the Royal Farms Arena set to begin in February 2022, is- what will this change?
The Baltimore Spending Panel recently approved a deal to renovate the Royal Farms Arena in downtown Baltimore. The cost of the redevelopment is $ 150 million. Royal Farms Arena has hosted games for the Wizards and Caps in the past, but due to poor playing conditions for the Caps, their return to Baltimore could be far-fetched.
The venture capitalist of DC-area Kevin Durant is behind the project, leaving many like me wondering if his plan is to bring Wizards basketball back to Baltimore. Upgrades include increasing arena capacity from 10-15%, exterior upgrades, modern seating, and concession upgrades.
The redevelopment will take about 11 months and will not cost taxpayers a dime.
Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis wants to play more Wizards games in Baltimore.
Speaking to a Baltimore CEO Club, Ted Leonsis said the Wizards would play more games in Baltimore if the city replaced the aging Royal Farms Arena. “Say there’s a new arena here. Who says you can’t play 10 games in Baltimore? “ said Leonsis.
The possibility of the wizards returning to Baltimore is simply based on this renovation. If they turn the Royal Farms Arena into a state-of-the-art facility, I think the Wizards will end up playing a plethora of home games in Baltimore. It will then be up to the city of Baltimore and surrounding areas to make the Wizards feel right at home.
It’s time to pay tribute to the Wizards basketball that was played in Baltimore.
Reconnecting the Washington Wizards to the Baltimore area won’t be an easy task, but the renovations to the Royal Farms Arena are the first step.
