Alexandria Mayor Justin M. Wilson , Washington Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin listen to JBG Smith CEO Matt Kelly in Alexandria on Dec. 13. its plan to build a new sports arena would “not move forward” — and as D.C. announced the Wizards and Capitalsto the commonwealth had fallen apart. They have brawled on social media and in dueling statements over who exactly was at fault — and whether the plan’s collapse was a bad thing to begin with.
“There is plenty of blame to go around,” Alexandria Mayor Justin M. Wilson , who supported the deal, said in an interview Thursday, “to the city, to the commonwealth, to JBG, to Monumental, to the governor. But the reality is that this sends a really bad message about how we approach economic development in the commonwealth. … This is a bad omen.”Wednesday that the plan had not received a fair hearing in the state Senate, where Sen. L.
Perhaps the sharpest statement came from JBG Smith CEO Matt Kelly, who pointed fingers at what he said were “special interests”“To say we are disappointed is an understatement,” Kelly said in statement. “We are disgusted with the back-room-dealing and opaque scheming that took place as this played out.”A JBG Smith spokeswoman declined to specify which “special interests” or legislators he was referring to and said the company would not be commenting beyond Kelly’s statement.
“This is a freakin legendary smackdown so now the incompetent losers behind the effort are out telling lies and conspiracy theories,” sheOn Thursday, House Speaker Don L. Scott Jr. , who had also faulted Youngkin for keeping legislators out of the loop,for the Virginia Mercury that he sees Kelly’s comments as a “racist smear” that shouldn’t be amplified; Lucason social media. Both he and Lucas are Black, and Kelly is White.