Visit downtown D.C. today, and you’ll likely find yourself strolling down a bustling Abe Pollin Way. Sitting atop that street is the iconic structure that twenty-one years ago welcomed Washington’s sports teams home: the Capital One Arena. In 1997, the stadium first opened its doors. Today, the space has hosted 47 million people and more than 3,915 events.
The arena’s impact, however, far exceeds its walls. Its founder, former Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals owner Abe Pollin, has been lauded over the years by likes of former president Barack Obama and former mayor Adrian Fenty for “almost single-handedly [revitalizing] the Gallery Place/Chinatown neighborhood.” The neighborhood, once destitute, now houses hundreds of new restaurants, big-name shops, modern apartment buildings, and dynamic mixed use developments along its lively streets.
