President and Executive Director Neil Albert reported figures showing low hotel bookings, fewer restaurant reservations and modest Metro rail ridership.

Economic recovery is lagging, he told the group.

“Pre-pandemic close to 200,000 people came to downtown DC every day,” Albert said during the video conference. “We are at about 39% of daily activity. We have quite a long way to go.”

Another factor that shows a slow recovery: the number of companies bringing workers back into the office. It’s less than 25% in D.C.’s business district.

DowntownDC Board Member Michael McCarthy specializes in real estate. He said businesses need to know where employees want to work.

“In our surveys, the desire to work from home or come into the office is so subject to individual preferences,” said McCarthy. “We need to create environments that are going to lure employees back into the office. They’re going to come back to the office because they would rather not be at home.”

One bright spot is the number of live entertainment and ticketed events slated for several downtown venues.

In the next four months, more than 85 events including Wizards games, concerts and a monster truck show, are booked for downtown D.C., said Monica Dixon, President of External Affairs and Chief Administrative Officer at Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns and operates Capital One Arena.

“Three weeks ago, we had our very first large concert. We had the Eagles,” she said. “We’re excited. Hopefully, we can turn the numbers up.”

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The sports bar has accepted an early lease buyout from Capital One Arena owner Monumental Sports and Entertainment and will close the 12-year-old arena location at the end of the Washington Wizards’ regular season on April 9, with a pop-up lounge remaining open through postseason Wizards and Capitals home games.

Monumental wants the space for construction of what it calls a proprietary business concept, without elaborating on what it plans.

Terms of the lease buyout weren’t disclosed, but The Greene Turtle called the buyout “generous.”

The Greene Turtle said it will use the buyout payment to expand its own business and marketing, and will open a new location in the District.

After April 9, The Greene Turtle will set up “The Shell Raiser Lounge,” what it calls an open gathering space serving game-style food and drinks for all postseason Wizards and Caps home games.

The sports bar will continue to be featured at the arena through sponsorships and advertising.

“We’re excited to have reached an agreement with Monumental Sports & Entertainment that will let us finish out the current NBA and NHL seasons, give fans a lively, block party-style setting at which to cheer on our teams through the postseason, and remain a presence in the arena going forward,” said Greene Turtle President and CEO Bob Barry.

The Greene Turtle opened its Capital One Arena location in 2007. It had three years remaining on its current lease. Since opening, it said it has served more than 250,000 patrons every year.

Monumental will invest $15 million in Capital One Arena this summer, adding more concessions and mega-video displays. It spent $40 million on updates to the arena last year.

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As for what Monumental plans to do with The Greene Turtle space when it leaves, president of business operations Jim Van Stone called it a cornerstone tenant of the arena.

“As we look to the future, an opportunity to expand our footprint has prompted us to explore new developments in all of the space in the arena,” Van Stone said.

It is a prime street-front arena location at 601 F St. NW.

The Greene Turtle has 44 other company-owned and franchised locations.

Barry said the sports bar is looking for other locations in the District, without naming specific locations. “We look forward to opening another restaurant in D.C. when the right opportunity presents itself,” Barry said.

Capital One Greene Turtle employees will be offered jobs at other locations, or access to other restaurants and concessions at the arena.

The Greene Turtle opened its first location in Ocean City, Maryland, in 1976. It now has locations in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District.

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The D.C. government is nearing a deal to build a practice facility for the Washington Wizards in southeast Washington.

The $56 million complex also would serve as the home arena for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. Both teams currently play and practice at Verizon Center downtown.

The board of Events DC voted on Monday to approve spending up to $32.5 million to build the facility. Events DC is the city’s quasi-public stadium authority. It would own the complex and lease it to Wizards and Mystics owner Ted Leonsis through his company, Monumental Sports and Entertainment.

The facility would be built on the east campus of St. Elizabeths, which was formerly the site of a mental hospital. The District government owns the land, which has long been slated for redevelopment.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says the facility would also include an entertainment complex that could bring sports, arts and cultural events to the campus.

Though the District would shoulder most of the cost, Bowser calls it a “good deal” that could spark development similar to what now surrounds Verizon Center and Nationals Park.

“Now, it’s Ward 8’s turn to have a significant city investment that will change the game for this campus,” she says.

ĂŰĚŇĘÓƵapp’s Andrew Mollenbeck contributed to this report.

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“Just to be a successful woman or man in this world you always want to have an education or degree to fall back on, so that’s one of the most important things I want to do and preach to these kids,” Wall said.

Wall was joined by  300 students in grades three through eight at the Boys and Girls Club in Southeast. The Wizards point guard gave each student a snazzy-looking black-and-grey backpack filled with pens, pencils, notebooks and folders.

“These kids might be excited to see me but I’m more excited to see them,” Wall said. “They put a bigger smile on my face.”

In a festive atmosphere, with party music thumping, the kids were pretty ecstatic. “I really love basketball, it was really cool to see him,” said David, a rising eighth grader who’s home-schooled.

David said he’s looking forward to “learning new stuff’ in the new school year.

Heather Lee, a rising sixth grader at Stuart Hobson Middle School,  also received a backpack.

“What I like about school is that you can learn and you can still have fun,” said Heather, who took a picture with the basketball star.

“I like math the most,” Heather said.

On Friday, Wall handed out backpacks and school supplies to kids in his hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina.

“I love playing the game of basketball, but whenever I can put smiles on these families’ faces it takes some of the pressure off some of the parents who don’t have to buy backpacks and school supplies,” Wall said.

It’s the second straight year that Wall has gifted hundreds of kids with school supplies.

“I want to give back to kids and familes that are less fortunate, I’ve been in that situation before,” Wall said.

Wall, 25, was raised by his mother after his father died of liver cancer. Wall was only 9 at the time.

“I always want to just have a legacy and be a great role model,” Wall said.

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