Diradour still swinging for baseball at The Diamond
SPECIAL REPORT: Baseball in Richmond
A man approached Charlie Diradour and shook his hand outside The Diamond yesterday.
"Keep up the good work, Charlie," he said.
Replied Diradour: "Thank you very much for coming out."
Diradour, who arranged the appearance to announce the launching of his revamped Web site, looked as if a politician were the centerpiece. Diradour is not a politician -- at least not yet.
Diradour, 45, a graduate of Trinity Episcopal School and Virginia Commonwealth University, began a public crusade to keep baseball on the Boulevard soon after the Shockoe Center proposal was released in October. Yesterday, he reiterated his belief that a transformation of The Diamond is the most sensible fiscal measure.
In so doing, Diradour re-raised the question that surfaces each time he makes the pitch: What is this guy's motivation?
Diradour owns and operates a local real estate development firm that mainly deals with properties in Richmond's Fan District. "I want this known far and wide," he said. "I have no interests along the Boulevard corridor."
He said he endorses the Boulevard location because a ballpark is already there with good access and parking.
Diradour said he opposed the Shockoe Center proposal "to make sure the citizens' tax dollars weren't mishandled." That proposal was withdrawn last week. Yesterday, he emphasized the need for Richmond-area residents, regardless of ballpark-site preference, to embrace the Double-A franchise set to come next season.
"This is not some self-aggrandizement setting up for doing anything," Diradour said. "This is pure. And people have responded to it."
Diradour says he was in a barbershop a few days ago, and a couple of men there praised his support of The Diamond. They told him he needed to take his common-sense approach into government.
"Do I? Or am I more effective doing it this way?" Diradour said. "That's a question I'm wrestling with right now."
Yesterday, Diradour beseeched the city administration to at least meet with Peter Kirk, the chairman of Opening Day Partners, who early last month submitted to area officials a $28 million proposal to transform The Diamond.
Kirk's plan would remove the roof and the upper deck, expand the lower bowl, add a berm, a play area (with bumper boats, a carousel and skateboard park) and a conference center. New retail would be built adjacent to the stadium.
Kirk has not heard from area leaders about setting up a meeting.
"Economically at this time in this country's history, it makes even more sense now to use adaptive reuse technologies to bring this site back to life," Diradour said of The Diamond.
Diradour was a supporter of the unsuccessful campaign for Richmond mayor by William J. Pantele, a former City Council president. Yesterday, Pantele stopped by The Diamond to support Diradour.
Pantele called Kirk "brilliant" and said attendance dropped during the Richmond Braves' final few years not because of the stadium or its location, but because of "poor management of the facility and a lack of promotion."
Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or
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Reader Reactions
jake67 - you’re absolutely right about surrounding development. And the biggest problem is that the way The Diamond is situated makes it extremely difficult to add development around it. Not to mention that someone would need to build a parking deck instead of all that gravel parking.
The City’s maintenance shed would need to be relocated…millions of tax dollars will be spent for this. And when all’s done, we’ll be left with 1 of 2 things. We’ll get a $28 million stadium that’s a complete dump, or we’ll get a $45 million stadium to get it to look decent and nobody will be able to develop anything close to it. Families still won’t come to the games because there’s nothing in the area to do before or after the game.
I’ve said this in previous posts and I’ll say it again - maybe someone from the RTD will read it and report on it. Please look at http://www.openingdaypartners.com and look at the ballparks these guys have built. With only 1 exception, they’re all dumps. For $28 million, you’ll get what you pay for and it will be another black eye on the City of Richmond.
I can’t speak to what Diradour’s motivation is, because I really don’t know. But he should be very well prepared to answer the same questions he was asking of Bostic and Kreckman.
Jackson - can you fill me in on what major event Charlie changed? In all seriousness - I’d just like to know.
All I can tell from Google is that he’s supported The Diamond, done some small to mid-size development work (although I agree that they did a great job with delux), and was in an 8K in 1999. While I appreciate his fervor and energy, I’m curious what makes him educated about where a baseball stadium should go.
Why not go radical?
I understand that Sarah Palin is now going to be free at the end of July, quitting her responsibilities a year and a half early, and as nut cases go she ought to be able to tackle straightening one little baseball controversy out if she isn’t busy helping Rush Limbaugh!
Let’s quit jawing and bring in the worst team, er, I mean the first team, and get Sarah, her brood and her deadbeat husband down here to straighten this baseball thing out.
What’s more American than baseball to a real right winger like Sarah the Nutball? Let’s make this interesting!
Lance
Where was the Mighty Hero With the Mighty Sword when the Braves were threatening to leave? All of a sudden he (Diradour) says baseball on the Boulevard is a great idea—- We had it there for 48 years!!! But it left while the Mighty Hero did nothing. What am I missing here?
I can see the Boulevard location really working only with the right kind of development around it. Some extra “attractions” are mentioned, and some retail, but if that’s all they add (along with renovating the Diamond), I don’t think it’ll have much impact and it’s hard to imagine retail surviving there without something more to attract people. There needs to be serious development all around the site—which would mean building a parking deck among other things rather than wasting acres of land on a parking lot in the middle of the city.
As much as the back and forth banter is interesting and provoking, there is one thing that is true. Whether you are for the Bottom, the Boulevard, or somewhere in the middle of GA, whether you like Charlie or not, the fact is that one man, one single person started a movement for a cause he felt strongly about and literally, changed a major event in this city. If our elected officials had the drive, desire and follow though that Charlie had, we MAY actually move forward as a city and not spend years and costly studies making baby steps. I’d love to see city council members fight for something once in a while, not just their elected position.
Given the financial crisis our city is in, it makes absolutely no sense to do anything but renovate the existing stadium. $28m is a lot less of a risk than the $350+m that they were trying to spend. Maybe the Boulevard is a short term solution (3-5 years), but it might be enough time to help weather the current storm. Besides, it still has yet to be proven that Richmond is a sports town who can (and will) support a baseball team. I’d be more inclined to risk that on the $28 renovation than some other multimillion dollar deal. I say restore it, get a team and count me in… I will support it.
Oh btw, enjoy the softball game.
Sorry Charlie but the Diamond should only be a temporary solution until a better stadium is built in a better location. Spend as little as possible to keep it going for another season or two and then let it go. No one is excited about a renovated Diamond or even a new stadium on this plot. Those that want it there want it for practical purposes.. easy to get to and easy to leave, that’s all that location has going for it. It’s time to think bigger. A short article on the possibility of a stadium by the river got 80 comments yesterday. That’s where the energy and interest lie and that’s where you stand the best chance of reaching beyond the old school fans that quit attending Braves games several years ago.
Actually, Diradour does NOT own any land or buildings on the Boulevard. (You can verify that with the city on your own time).
Charlie only cares about his back pocket and his development of his land near the Boulevard. He doesn’t care about baseball. If he did he wouldn’t get behind an indy ball guy. If he cared about baseball he would be supporting the Eastern League (or any other affiliated league) coming here. He wouldn’t be supporting the idea of some league with has-beens and never-weres that Kirk wants to bring in here. I think I’d rather go see a softball game with 10 year olds than the Atlantic League.
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