Washington Sports & Entertainment will hold a public memorial service for deceased Wizards owner and visionary businessman Abe Pollin at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, December 8, at the Verizon Center (601 F Street).
The Downtown BID extends heartfelt condolences to the family of Mr. Pollin, who helped spur Downtown’s magnificent renaissance more than a dozen years ago. He died at the age of 85 at the end of November, but his extraordinary contributions to the Downtown community are enduring.
In 1997, the chairman of Washington Sports & Entertainment literally bet his future on Downtown by building the $220 million MCI Center (now Verizon Center) at 601 F Street, home of the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals, which he moved from Landover, Maryland. At the time, Downtown was less than vibrant, inviting and safe.
The new sports and entertainment arena–fondly known as the “House That Abe Built”–was the first big, transformative project that helped to catalyze more Downtown development. Its opening drew record crowds, attracting sports fans from every ward of the city and suburbanites, who returned to the inner city for the first time in years. Huge crowds also are expected to turn out for the “Remembering Abe” public memorial in celebration of his life. In addition to being a successful businessman, Mr. Pollin was a philanthropist and devoted family man.
His memory is forever etched in Downtown’s heart. In 2007, Mayor Adrian Fenty unveiled F Street between 6th and 7th Streets as “Abe Pollin Way.”
For more information, including where to send donations to Abe’s Table, a feeding program for the homeless and underserved, visit www.verizoncenter.com.
