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The Washington Wizards began as the Chicago Packers in 1961. The final game of that series, a 96-95 loss on April 30, 1997, marked the end of an era. On May 15, the team officially became known as the Washinton Wizards, a decision made by owner Abe Pollin in conjunction with the team's anti-violence campaign. At the same time, the team prepared for a move from suburban Landover, Maryland, to the MCI Center in downtown Washington. At the beginning of the 1960s the NBA was an eight-team league coping with growing pains. The arena opened on December 2, 1997 in downtown Washington's Chinatown. Some complained that the building's construction, by closing off a block of G St, corrupted the historic L'Enfant layout of the Washington city streets. Others were concerned it would lead to the displacement of Chinese businesses in Chinatown. While largely considered a commercial success, the Verizon Center was the catalyst that led to gentrification of Washington's Chinatown, with rent increases after construction of the Arena forcing many small Chinese businesses to close. On the other hand, the Arena is not only a popular venue for sports and concerts, but helped to turned "Gallery Place/Chinatown" neighborhood into one of the prime sites for commercial development in Washington. Virtually all Chinese residents in the D.C. area already live in the suburbs, and displacement that occurred over the years has been mostly commercial rather than residential.
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