Jones ready to play ball with new stadium study

By: | Times-Dispatch
Published: May 18, 2009

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Will baseball work in the Bottom?

Apparently so, according to a new study that Richmond will release portions of today.

Mayor Dwight C. Jones plans to release the executive summary of a review by Davenport & Co., which already had endorsed the concept of a minor-league baseball stadium in in Shockoe Bottom in an earlier study commissioned by then-Mayor L. Douglas Wilder.

The Jones administration is hinting that Davenport's new study reflects favorably on the $318 million Shockoe Center proposal by Highwoods Properties, which would bring baseball to the Bottom as part of a huge mixed-used development.

The city also suggests that Jones will be looking to the surrounding counties as the city works to bring minor-league baseball back to Richmond after losing the Braves this year. A city news release issued Friday said the "report cites the proposal as a potentially very attractive economic development opportunity for the city."

It goes on to say that Jones is "more confident in his knowledge of the implications of the proposed project. We now have information that we can share with stakeholders as well as our regional partners as we work to chart our course from here. All of the implications have to be considered, and I'm prepared to outline the steps necessary to move this matter toward a conclusion."

The $100,000 study was conducted by Davenport & Co. of Richmond, Economic Research Associates of Washington, and Chmura Economics & Analytics of Richmond.