CareFirst Arena

{{Infobox venue

| name =

| nickname =

| logo_image =

| image = St. Elizabeths Arena 2020a.jpg

| image_size = 250px

| caption = Exterior of the venue in 2020

| pushpin_map = Washington, DC#USA

| pushpin_relief = 1

| former_names = St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena (planning/construction)

Entertainment and Sports Arena (2018–2025)

| address = 1100 Oak Drive SE

| city = Washington, D.C.

| country = U.S.

| coordinates = {{coord|38|50|49.1|N|76|59|29.2|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| publictransit = Washington Metro
{{rint|washington|green}} at {{Station|Congress Heights}}

| owner = District of Columbia

| operator = Events DC

| capacity = 4,200
{{Collapsible list|expand=|framestyle=|titlestyle=|title=Detailed capacity{{cite web |url=http://esaontherise.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018.05.04-edc-esa-r8-v1-all-e-p-r.pdf |title=Facilities Guide: Entertainment & Sports Arena |author= |date=May 4, 2019 |website=Events DC |access-date=June 1, 2019 |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224162828/http://esaontherise.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018.05.04-edc-esa-r8-v1-all-e-p-r.pdf |url-status=dead }}|liststyle=|hlist=|bullets=|Concerts: 4,119|Basketball: 4,111|Boxing: 4,222|Esports: 4,119}}

| broke_ground = July 17, 2017

| opened = {{Start date|2018|09|22}}

| cost = $69 million
(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|69000000|2017}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})

| architect = {{hlist|Rossetti Architects|Marshall Moya Design Group}}

| project_manager = Brailsford & Dunlavey

| structural engineer = Setty & Associates

| services engineer = Wiles Mensch Corporation

| general_contractor = Smoot Construction

| main_contractors = Gilbane Building Company

| tenants = Capital City Go-Go (NBAGL) 2018–present
Washington Mystics (WNBA) 2019–present

| website = {{url|https://eventsdc.com/venue/entertainment-and-sports-arena|Venue Website}}

}}

CareFirst Arena, formerly the Entertainment and Sports Arena, is a multi-purpose events facility, located on the St. Elizabeths East Campus, in Congress Heights, a residential neighborhood in southeast Washington, D.C.

The arena is home to the Washington Mystics of the WNBA and the Capital City Go-Go of the NBA G League. In addition, it houses a practice facility for the Washington Wizards of the NBA.

The arena was officially opened on September 22, 2018.{{cite news |first1=Mark |last1=Segraves |work=News4 |first2=Sophia |last2=Barnes |orig-date=September 18, 2018 |date=September 22, 2018 |url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/DC-Entertainment-and-Sports-Arena-in-Southeast-Sets-Grand-Opening-Concerts-493652921.html |title=DC Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southeast Opens |access-date=September 23, 2018}}

The arena officially rebranded to CareFirst Arena on February 6, 2025.{{cite news |first=Winston |last=Rogers |url=https://wjla.com/news/local/dc-arena-care-first-entertainment-sports-arena-ward-8-medical-center-southeast-basketball-concerts-community-blue-cross-shield-st-elizabeths-east-workforce-maternal-health-cedar-hill-medical-april-food-insecurity |title=DC's Entertainment and Sports Arena gets new name in deal to develop St. Elizabeths campus |access-date=February 6, 2025 |date=February 6, 2025 |publisher=WJLA-TV}}

Location and design

The 4,200-seat arena is mainly used for basketball; however, there are plans for the facility to also host concerts, community events and other sporting events. The location of the arena was selected due to its proximity to St. Elizabeths Hospital, distance to the greater Washington, D.C. area, location to the Congress Heights station of the Washington Metro, the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, and ability to improve the local community through jobs and infrastructure improvements.{{cite news |url=http://stelizabethseast.com/our-project/location/ |title=Location - St. Elizabeths ESA |access-date=August 1, 2017}}

History

File:Entertainment and Sports Arena Exterior.jpg

Construction for the arena, to include razing of surrounding buildings, began on February 19, 2016.{{cite news |first=Andrew |last=Giambrone |url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/city-desk/blog/13070495/bowser-kicks-off-st-elizabeths-demolition-for-wizards-practice-facility |title=Bowser Kicks Off St. Elizabeths Demolition for Wizards' Practice Facility |access-date=August 1, 2017 |date=February 19, 2016 |work=Washington City Paper}} Of the $65 million estimated cost for construction, 90% of the cost was to be taxpayer funded. The District of Columbia owns the facility while Events DC will operate the facility.{{cite news |first=Jonathan |last=O'Connell |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2015/09/15/bowser-outlines-details-of-st-elizabeths-deal/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |title=Bowser outlines details of St. Elizabeths deal |access-date=September 15, 2015 |date=September 15, 2015}}

Members of the DC Council sought to introduce legislation capping public expenditure in the case of cost overruns.{{cite news |title= D.C. Council member proposes spending cap for Wizards facility |first=Jonathan |last=O'Connell |date=March 1, 2016 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2016/03/01/d-c-council-member-proposes-spending-cap-for-wizards-facility/}} On July 28, Greg O'Dell, Chairperson of Events DC, requested an additional $10 million in funding while decreasing the number of seats in the facility. He said earlier estimates were premature.{{cite news |title=Cost of Wizards practice facility rises $10 million before construction can even begin |first=Jonathan |last=O'Connell |date=July 28, 2016 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2016/07/28/before-construction-can-begin-cost-of-wizards-practice-facility-rises-10-million/?postshare=6821469735085188&tid=ss_tw-bottom}}

In 2018, O'Dell announced that the cost had increased to $68.8 million, due in part to additions like drywall, and catwalks and higher than anticipated costs like contractors.{{cite news |title=Price Tag of Taxpayer-Funded Wizards Arena Grows to $69 Million |first=Andrew |last=Giambrone |date=March 1, 2018 |work=Washington City Paper |url=https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/loose-lips/blog/20994367/price-tag-of-taxpayerfunded-wizards-arena-grows-to-69-million}} The final cost was nearly 25 percent more than estimated, which DC taxpayers were required to cover.

Events DC boasted about the number of local business used in the construction of the facility, but could not provide a list of any of the businesses. Local businesses reported that they were unable to find work at the site.{{cite news |last=Baskin |first=Morgan |date=January 24, 2019 |title=Construction Companies Open East-of-the-River Offices to Win Lucrative Contracts |url=https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/housing-complex/article/21044663/construction-companies-open-eastoftheriver-offices-to-win-lucrative-contracts |work=Washington City Paper |access-date=January 26, 2019}}

Operations

Events DC significantly underestimated the costs of operating the facility and in 2019 the Events DC board approved more than $1 million in additional costs to cover the shortfall.{{cite news |last=Cooper |first=Rebecca |date=May 15, 2019 |title= D.C. reconciles true costs of running new arena at St. Elizabeths

|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2019/05/15/d-c-reconciles-true-costs-of-running-newarena-at.html |work=Washington Business Journal |access-date=May 15, 2019}} A contract for a firm to find naming rights for the facility was funded at $180,000 per year.

=Events=

PFL 10, a mixed martial arts event, was held at the arena on October 20, 2018.
Games 1, 2, and 5 of the 2019 WNBA Finals were held at the arena.
The Coastal Athletic Association men's basketball tournament has been held at the arena every year since 2020 (except for 2021), and the conference's women's basketball tournament has been held at the arena since 2024.
All Elite Wrestling's television series Dynamite and Rampage were held at the arena January 19 and 21, 2022, October 5 and 7, 2022, and December 18, 2024.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling's pay-per-view event Capital Collision was held at the arena on May 14, 2022, April 15, 2023, and August 30, 2024.
Blast Premier's Tier-1 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event hosted the semi-finals and the final for their Spring Final series, June 10–12, 2023.
NXT Vengeance Day was held at the arena on February 15, 2025.