Sunday, December 5
ESPN Zone heading to nation's capital
 
 June 24, 1999

ESPN Zone, the sports-themed dining and entertainment complex launched in July, 1998 announced today its plans to open in Washington, D.C. in March of 2000, according to Art Levitt, president of Disney Regional Entertainment.

Artist rendering of future ESPN Zone in Washington D.C.
The 41,000 square-foot facility will be located at 12th and F streets in downtown Washington and will be the fifth ESPN Zone to open in the United States.

"The re-development of our city's downtown will be further enhanced by ESPN Zone opening next spring," said Mayor Anthony Williams. "Today's announcement illustrates a commitment from companies such as Disney to help revitalize our city."

"Opening in Washington is a significant step for ESPN Zone," said Levitt. "We will be able to attract sports fans from all over the world to cheer for their teams and have some great food."

The sports-themed dining and entertainment facility will be located in the Manulife Building at 555 12th Street, NW. ESPN Zone, which captures the essence of ESPN by creating the ultimate interactive fan experience, launched its first complex in Baltimore's Inner Harbor in July 1998 and opened additional venues in Chicago on July 10th and in New York's Times Square in September.

The facility has been designed on three floors to distinguish the three individual, yet integrated components:

  • Studio Grill: The Studio Grill recreates the electric atmosphere of the ESPN studios. It features replicas of the SportsCenter, NFL Countdown and NBA 2Night sets. Patrons are treated to great American grill food with a decided flair, including entrees like Cedar Plank Salmon, Grilled Chops or a New York Strip. Also, individuals will be able to view their favorite games on one of the many television monitors situated throughout the Studio Grill.

  • Screening Room: The Screening Room will be the ultimate place to watch an array of televised sporting events from around the world. This section offers state-of-the-art technology, multi-game viewing, direct audio control for all televised games, statistical updates by the minute and specialized sports features centered around a 16-foot screen and a dozen 36-inch video monitors with tiered seating. In addition, the Screening Room also features individual Skyboxes for private dining, custom "Zone-Throne" viewing stations and remote broadcasting capabilities.

  • Sports Arena: Challenging fans with a variety of interactive and competitive attractions, the Sports Arena will feature several proprietary games developed exclusively for ESPN Zone. Over 200 fans can compete simultaneously in this high-energy area of the complex.

    ESPN Zone was developed by Disney Regional Entertainment, which creates breakthrough entertainment concepts for metropolitan and suburban markets worldwide. Disney Regional Entertainment also operates DisneyQuest, an interactive entertainment adventure, open at Walt Disney World® Resort in Orlando and Chicago and under development in Philadelphia.


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