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As of September 22, D.C. has a new 4,200-seat venue, the Entertainment and Sports Arena (ESA),{ } within city limits. (Image on left, courtesy Library of Congress; Image on right, courtesy Events DC)
The arena will serve as the practice facility for the Wizards... (Image: Courtesy Events DC)
the home court of the Mystics... (Image: Courtesy Events DC)
and the home court of D.C.'s new NBA G-League team, the Capital City Go-Go. (Image: Courtesy Events DC)
"The Entertainment and Sports Arena is the home our Mystics deserve," said Mayor Muriel Bowser. "But it's even more than that - this project is bigger than basketball. The ESA is about jobs, opportunity and community; it's about ensuring that every neighborhood, in every corner of our city, has world-class housing and amenities. (Image: Courtesy Events DC)
This 120,000-square-foot arena is located in Congress Heights of Ward 8. (Image: Courtesy Library of Congress)
ESA sits on the former site of St. Elizabeth's Hospital. (Image: Courtesy Library of Congress)
St. Elizabeth's opened in 1855 as the first federally operated psychiatric hospital. (Image: Courtesy Library of Congress)
At its peak in 1950, the hospital housed more than 8,000 patients but since 2010, only a small portion of the east campus has been used as a medical facility, operated by the District of Columbia Department of Mental Health. (Image: Courtesy Library of Congress)
The res of the east campus was redeveloped to become what is now ESA. (Image: Courtesy Library of Congress)
When it was first created in 1852, Congress gave $100,000 to provide care for D.C.'s mentally ill, as well as theose deemed "insane" by the army and navy.{ } (Image: Courtesy Library of Congress)
Two would- be presidential assassins were patients at St. Elizabeth's: Richard Lawrence, who attempted to kill Andrew Jackson, and John Hinckley Jr., who shot Ronald Reagan. (Image: Courtesy Library of Congress)
Ezra Pound was also held in St. Elizabeth's for 13 years on the charge of treason after being deemed unfit to stand trial. When he was released in 1958, the doctor called him "incurably insane." (Image: Courtesy Library of Congress)
St. Elizabeth's was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990, and was named one of the nation's 11 Most Endangered Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2002. (Image: Courtesy Library of Congress)
Walter Freeman was suppossedly inspired by St. Elizabeth's to pioneer the transorbital lobotomy. (Image: Courtesy Library of Congress)
Several unsuccessful tests of truth serums were performed at St. Elizabeth's in 1943, including a THC test. (Image: Courtesy Library of Congress)
Today, the patients still residing at St. Elizabeth's are split 50-50 between those civilly committed to the hopsital and those who are forensic pateints. (Image: Courtesy Library of Congress)
As of Jan. 2009, there were only 404 in patients. (Image: Courtesy Library of Congress)
According to a press release from Events DC, "ESA is projected to produce $90 million in new tax revenue over 20 years and attract more than 380,000 annual visitors per year to the Congress Heights neighborhood." (Image: Courtesy Library of Congress)
The ribbon cutting on September 22 marked the official opening of ESA. (Image: Courtesy Events DC)
Bowser attended along with Events DC's President/CEO, Gregory O'Dell, Ted Leonsis and several local athletes and artists.{ } (Image: Courtesy Events DC)
"We look forward to delivering unmatched event programming from esports and boxing to amateur sports and electrifying concerts- starting with our grand opening celebration blockbuster lineup," said O'Dell. (Image: Courtesy Events DC)
Mary J. Blige (with Jacob Banks) will kick-off the conert programming at ESA on October 6. (Image: Courtesy Events DC)
Cage the Elephant (with Judah & The Lion) has also been scheduled for on October 13. (Image: Courtesy Events DC)
And D.C. native Wale will headline a showcase with 20 local DJs, bands and performers on October 5. Tickets are being sold for $5. (Image: Courtesy Events DC)
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