A former NBA Development League leader yesterday was named president of SportsQuest LLC, the Chesterfield County company developing a 35-acre, $100 million sports and family entertainment center at Powhite Parkway and state Route 288.
And among his goals are to bring professional hockey and basketball to Chesterfield as soon as 2011.
Philip G. Evans, who served as president of the NBA's minor-league program from 2002 to 2007, said yesterday he hopes to bring a Washington Wizards farm team to the arena planned at the SportsQuest facility, as well as hockey team from the ECHL, a AA league affiliated with the NHL. Both teams would play in a 6,000-seat arena planned for the site.
"It's more than a possibility," said Steve Burton, chief executive officer and chairman of the company, who called discussions with leagues and teams "advanced" but said nothing is set in stone yet.
"We are committed to having pro franchises on the campus," he said.
In the past decade, two minor-league men's basketball teams -- the Richmond Rhythm and the Richmond Generals -- failed after losing money. It was announced this week that the Richmond Renegades hockey team might suspend operations at the end of the season.
"I'm hopeful I can use my experience and the relationships I've built to assist in bringing a higher quality of sports programming to the greater Richmond area than they've enjoyed in the past," Evans said.
Evans has continued to work with the NBA's D-League after growing the league from eight to 12 teams as president before starting his own sports and media firm in 2007. He said he hopes the D-League will eventually grow to 30 teams, creating a one-to-one team affiliation with NBA teams. The Richmond area, he said, would be an obvious choice for the Wizards farm team, which is currently located in Bismarck, N.D.
A representative from the Wizards said no official conversations had taken place yet.
Evans, a Virginia native and a graduate of the University of Virginia and its law school, also suggested that the demise of the Richmond Renegades would present a good opportunity to bring a team from the ECHL -- a higher caliber league -- to the area.
Burton said the first phase of the overall project would be underway this spring, with an aquatics center and cycling velodrome to open by fall. Professional teams could begin using the arena by summer of 2011, he said.
In addition to the cycling and swimming facilities, an ice skating rink, a 50,000-square-foot family entertainment center and a 90,000-square-foot medical office building are all part of the first phase. Later stages would include a retail plaza, indoor/outdoor tennis facilities with stadium seating, a 50,000-square-foot field house and a 200-room hotel.
Recreational, youth development and high-performance programs will be offered to all ages and abilities in 20 sports, Burton said, adding that he plans to obtain Olympic training center designation and allow selected athletes to reside in the 200-room hotel and train for competition.
Mark Wood has been named SportsQuest's vice president of business development. Wood was a member of the senior management team at American Family Fitness Center for 15 years.
Chesterfield-based Edge Development Co. has been selected as the project's developer. Edge developed The Boulders Office Park and Commonwealth Center in Chesterfield.
Contact Wesley P. Hester at (804) 649-6976 or whester@timesdispatch.com.
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