DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker released the following statement after the announcement that the arena project in Alexandria would not go forward:

"The Commonwealth of Virginia has a long, proud history of protecting precious taxpayer dollars, maintaining its AAA bond rating and making well-vetted economic development decisions that keep Virginia as one of the best states to do business. Glenn Youngkin, following an embarrassing defeat at the polls last November, attempted to rush through an incomplete plan to build an arena on the backs of taxpayer dollars and possibly our bond rating. He offered our Democratic General Assembly a "take it or leave it" deal and showed absolutely no interest in working in the taxpayer-protections Democratic leadership sought. 

Democrats will always protect your hard-earned taxpayer dollars, while Glenn Youngkin made clear he'd prefer to give those taxpayer dollars to a billionaire. Youngkin's economic development record is a disaster, between this debacle and the loss of the FBI Headquarters to Maryland, January of 2026 cannot come soon enough."