News & Insights
Photo courtesy of: Greg Land
The interior of CareFirst Arena. Photo courtesy of EventsDC.
Washington, D.C.’s youngest professional sports venue continues to build on its legacy as community anchor
The venue once known as the Entertainment & Sports Arena is entering a bold new chapter. In February 2025, Washington, D.C.’s youngest professional sports venue was re-christened CareFirst Arena, backed by a decade-long naming-rights agreement and a $2 million commitment to community programs in workforce development, maternal health, and food insecurity. The 118,000-square-foot facility remains home to the WNBA’s Washington Mystics and the NBA G-League’s Capital City Go-Go, serves as the Washington Wizards’ practice facility, and continues to host a dynamic lineup of concerts, esports tournaments, and major wrestling broadcasts.
Just a few years earlier, this thriving destination existed only as an idea. Built on the former St. Elizabeths East medical campus in Ward 8, the arena was envisioned as both a state-of-the-art sports facility and a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization. Events DC turned to B&D to bring that vision to life, engaging the firm as owner’s representative and program manager.
“Delivering a project like this isn’t just about the building,” said B&D Vice President Bill Mykins, who led the firm’s work on the arena. “It’s about aligning every decision with the community’s long-term vision. From day one, we knew this arena had to serve as both a world-class venue and a neighborhood anchor, and that guided every step of the process.”
When the arena opened in September 2018, it immediately delivered on its promise. Grand opening performances by Mary J. Blige, Wale, and Cage the Elephant underscored its role as both a sports venue and a true community hub. In the years since, its calendar has been filled with championship games, high-profile concerts, e-sports competitions, and cultural events, proving that the investment was never just about bricks and mortar, but about energizing and defining the identity of Southeast D.C.
