Major upgrades inside Capital One Arena are almost finished

The concourses on the 100 and 400 levels will get a complete makeover, including new flooring, new lighting, and what Monumental calls a "sleek new decor." (Courtesy Gensler Sports)
The concourses on the 100 and 400 levels will get a complete makeover, including new flooring, new lighting, and what Monumental calls a “sleek new decor.” (Courtesy Gensler Sports)
The upgrades include all new, more comfortable padded seats with new cup holders. (Courtesy Monumental Sports and Entertainment)
The upgrades include all new, more comfortable padded seats with new cup holders. (Courtesy Monumental Sports and Entertainment)
The upgrades include all new, more comfortable padded seats with new cup holders. (Courtesy Monumental Sports and Entertainment)
The upgrades include all new, more comfortable padded seats with new cup holders. (Courtesy Monumental Sports and Entertainment)
In addition to the renovated concourses, improvements will include padded seats with cup holders throughout the arena beginning in the Capitals and Wizards 2018-2019 season and a new sound system. (Courtesy Gensler Sports)
In addition to the renovated concourses, improvements will include padded seats with cup holders throughout the arena, beginning in the Capitals and Wizards 2018-2019 season, and a new sound system. (Courtesy Gensler Sports)
The renovations will begin at the end of the 2017-2018 NBA and NHL seasons and are expected to be completed by fall 2018. (Courtesy Gensler Sports)
The renovations are expected to be completed by fall 2018. (Courtesy Gensler Sports)
The Washington Capitals NHL hockey team pose for a team picture with the Stanley Cup on the ice at Capital One Arena, Tuesday, June 12, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Fans gather outside the Capital One arena in Washington, D.C. during the first game of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Washington Capitals and the Columbus Blue Jackets, Thursday, April 12, 2018. (WTOP/Mike Murillo)
Fans gather outside the Capital One arena in Washington, D.C. during the first game of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Washington Capitals and the Columbus Blue Jackets, Thursday, April 12, 2018. (WTOP/Mike Murillo)
A good-size crowd was already inside Capital One Arena during the Mystics game, in anticipation of a Game 5 Caps watch party. (WTOP/Noah Frank)
A crowd was already inside Capital One Arena during the Mystics game, in anticipation of a Game 5 Caps watch party. (WTOP/Noah Frank)
(1/8)
The concourses on the 100 and 400 levels will get a complete makeover, including new flooring, new lighting, and what Monumental calls a "sleek new decor." (Courtesy Gensler Sports)
The upgrades include all new, more comfortable padded seats with new cup holders. (Courtesy Monumental Sports and Entertainment)
The upgrades include all new, more comfortable padded seats with new cup holders. (Courtesy Monumental Sports and Entertainment)
In addition to the renovated concourses, improvements will include padded seats with cup holders throughout the arena beginning in the Capitals and Wizards 2018-2019 season and a new sound system. (Courtesy Gensler Sports)
The renovations will begin at the end of the 2017-2018 NBA and NHL seasons and are expected to be completed by fall 2018. (Courtesy Gensler Sports)
Fans gather outside the Capital One arena in Washington, D.C. during the first game of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Washington Capitals and the Columbus Blue Jackets, Thursday, April 12, 2018. (WTOP/Mike Murillo)
A good-size crowd was already inside Capital One Arena during the Mystics game, in anticipation of a Game 5 Caps watch party. (WTOP/Noah Frank)

WASHINGTON — A $40 million renovation of Capital One Arena has been underway for months, and the vast majority of the improvements will be finished in time for the Washington Capitals’ home opener next month.

“We’ve actually put a lot of money into the building over the years. (But this is) the first complete face-lift where the public-facing areas are going to be redone,” said Dave Touhey, president of venues for Monumental Sports and Entertainment.

“All the changes we’re making are … to improve the experience of people attending the events.”

The upgrades include all new, more comfortable padded seats with new cup holders. “The old seats have all been removed; new seats are almost all in. And those will all be done by the end of probably the weekend,” Touhey said. 

The old seats — which of course were in use during the Caps’ historic Stanley Cup championship run — are being sold online. Prices start at $99, but that’s just for a seat bottom.

The concourses on the 100 and 400 levels are being totally redone, and the arena is switching to all-digital signage. And, new food choices are coming, too.

“Almost every concession stand has been redone,” Touhey said.

He added that the new sound system is in its “very final stages,” and when testing took place in the past couple of days, the sound was “fantastic.”

“It’s one of the things I’m most excited about, and probably one the things most people won’t even notice because very few comment on how good the sound was at a sporting event,” Touhey said. “But, you get comments when it’s not good — and we did not have very good sound before.”

The arena continued to host events over the summer as renovation work progressed, except during two shutdowns. One was in July, and the other started in August and will continue for another few days.

The next scheduled event is the Drake with Migos concert on Sept. 12.

Touhey added, “Every major thing, with the exception of some small items, will be done by the Caps opener on Oct. 3.”

Michelle Basch

Michelle Basch is a reporter turned morning anchor at WTOP News.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up