Ballpark plans mean big makeover
In the debate over a new ballpark for Richmond, one proposal envisions a remodeled Diamond, top, while another foresees a ballpark development project in Shockoe Bottom.
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MORE: • Transformation theme shared by ballpark plans • Comparing two of Richmond's ballpark options |
Transformation is the shared theme of two ballpark plans for Richmond.
In October, Highwoods Properties proposed Shockoe Center, a development that includes a $60 million ballpark that would transform Shockoe Bottom. A minimum of two years would be required to build that stadium, if the proposal gains city approval.
Then, last week, Opening Day Partners presented a $28 million transformation of The Diamond on the Boulevard, a facility that opened in 1985. Just about everything but the field and part of the lower bowl would be demolished and removed, with a modern ballpark constructed on the stadium footprint, according to Maryland-based ODP. The transformed Diamond, says ODP, could be ready for baseball next season if construction begins Aug. 1.
Richmond officials continue to study the Shockoe Center proposal from Highwoods, which is based in Raleigh, N.C., and has an office in Glen Allen.
Meanwhile, Opening Day Partners wants a chance to meet with area leaders to discuss its proposal for reinventing The Diamond, whose condition influenced the Atlanta Braves to move their Triple-A franchise to Georgia after last season. ODP Chairman Peter Kirk said Thursday that he's discussed the plan with Mike Berry, the general manager of the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, which owns and operates The Diamond. Kirk has yet to speak with city officials.
In its present state, The Diamond remains a short-term solution for Richmond's next baseball franchise. City officials continue to seek a long-term solution to where baseball makes sense in Richmond.
Mayor Dwight C. Jones last month acknowledged that based on what he had heard so far, "there is clearly no consensus on which direction to go in."
Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or
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Reader Reactions
Jeff E, yeah I agree, the whole “county-people-that-sit-in-their-houses-afraid-to-venture-out-past-their-gated-communities” thing is a joke. Most major city events are probably attended by as many county folks as city folks. Many county residents drive to the city every day for work. My family and neighbors have attended countless city festivals, circuses, ice shows, RBraves games, VCU bball games, etc, over the years. Stop perpetuating the myth.
FanGuy: I’m a riot? You assume I am a man, a suburbanite, and a racist. I’d send you a photo with my address but you’d just call me a liar again while staring at the proof (case in point - the numerous links I’ve posted that you’ve ignored thus far).
Intelligent people debate (OutOfLeftField & Cabbage, for example). Ignorant people repeat themselves and then resort to throwing slurs.
PS:take a closer look at my screen name and you just might get a clue…
Randomness, I would agree to an extent if it weren’t for my West End friends who come often to the City for dining, drinks, and general entertainment. I think it’s all who you know. Many posters on here certainly personify the house-bound suburbanites afraid of everything that doesn’t look like a strip mall but are they really the majority? Even if they are should the City center their plans around people who use fear and ignorance to justify their hatred of everything Richmond? Listen to what the folks who are active participants in City have to say. They are the ones out there making their neighborhoods better, supporting local restaurants and retail, and have a vision for what this City can become if we take part. The whiners can continue to naysay all over the internet and accomplish nothing in the process. Why should we care?
Unfortunately Richmond will never be anything more than a 2nd rate city. Any plan with true vision gets quickly shot down in favor of cheap half a** plan that ultimatly fails.
And then people scratch their head and wonder why we can’t compete with places like Baltimore & Charlotte.
Sad.
Squier13: “...the talk about Manchester is a pipe dream. The ODP plan is the only realistic one of the three.“
jr28: “Cabbage when you find an investor that wants to build on the Manchester site, they will be more then happy to talk to you I bet. Until then, with no funding for that site, it’s just a pretty picture.“
You are both right. I truly beileve Peter Kirk of Opening Day Partners is a good guy and history shows that he knows what he’s doing. I e-mailed him about the Manchester site and he said this “.....although we routinely do feasibility and market studies, the one thing we do not do is select sites for ballparks. We believe that the site selection should be entirely a local decision.“ I thought the leaders of this town would pick up on this great idea (brought forth in the 2007 Crupi Report) and run with it. But it doesn’t surprise me that nothing has been attempted or even publicized for that matter.
That being said I believe the ODP Boulevard proposal is a better option of the two on the table. HKS Sports & Entertainment Group (see http://www.qaddumihks.com/sports.html ), who are/were to build the Shockoe Center Ballpark, produce a great ballpark. But like HOK Sports (now Populous - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populous_(architects), HKS is extremely expensive. These two groups have nearly cornered the market. I’ve seen what Peter Kirk’s group can do and I like it. Now if someone can finance his magic in Manchester :-)
Randomness, that was a great oregon trail reference. It could also be that people fear typhoid or rattlesnake bites. I always found that buying bullets as opposed to food was a good strategy. Hunting was always the most fun part of the game.
FanGuy: I think you have hit the nail on the head.
While I would love to see a ballpark in Richmond, I am not holding my breath. For a city this size, Richmond is very compartmentalized. This seems to be a mixture of racial, socio-economic, and geographical. The folks from the East end, tend to leave the East end about as much as the West enders leave the West end… never. This seems true for just about every pocket of the metro area (Brandermill, Powhatan, Salisbury, etc.) Folk dread “crossing the river” so much you would think they were playing Oregon Trail and fearing that the rapids would swallow up their oxen while crossing.
In essence, it is this mindset that provides a barrier to any of the ballpark proposals from succeeding. Renovating the current site might be the best option to attack this mindset, but clearly some people are still living in the 80’s and 90’s and worried about getting shot in Richmond. The economy sucks and crime is up all over the place, but Richmond is still a safe city. Almost all of the violent crimes are not random, the two or more individuals involved generally know each other. For those like Jim who are so worried about security, where do you venture to? Even this weekend there was an attempted kidnapping at Cox and Broad in the West end. Do you ever leave your gated community? or are you perpetually worried about all of the sex and violence to venture out?
Citycynic, you are a riot. Last week you got caught telling ANOTHER lie about the Shockoe proposal, and still you have not been man enough to admit it.
I love Richmond, and am tired of suburbanites who don’t know much about downtown Richmond bad mouthing the Bottom and Downtown based on their insecurities and fears generated out of the past and, in some cases, racism. I am also tired of the negativity about Richmond and acceptance of mediocrity that has held this City back. Your screen name pretty much sums it up. This City has ENORMOUS untapped potential.
BTW, I am still waiting for a link supporting your claim that the City is being asked to back the entire $300+ million project. Why don’t you watch Davenport’s presentation from Councilperson Robertson’s meeting this weekend. Maybe then you will finally understand the proposed financing. Here it is.
http://riverdistrictnews.com/2009/06/14/davenport-and-company-discuss-the-shockoe-center/
Yes Jer1234 - it didn’t take long for welpee and FanGuy to show up with their insults. As sure as we can count on the city leaders to waste our tax dollars we can count on welpee and FanGuy to avoid any factual information in favor of telling us how backward we all and how horrible Richmond is. So why are they still here? Rush hour is over and I95 North is clear. Maybe the two of them can leave together.
jer1234 - you are the proverbial pot calling the kettle black, you accuse fanguy of only contributing insults when your first post on this thread was, in fact, an insult. When you point a finger at someone, there are 3 pointing back at you.
On to the stuff that matters (more than the above…), my opinion still stands that this ODP proposal is a nice idea, but a big waste of investment. There is so much more to investing than a price tag and I hope the decision makers, whoever they may be, realize that.
Please, Richmond, don’t take the easy way out.
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