Overhaul of Diamond is last plan standing

Just an opinion about why Richmond struggles so with renewal and vibrancy.  The city and it’s leaders don’t seem to have any central sense of what the city is, it’s history, it’s possible identity in the modern 21st century.  Things in Richmond are usually done in fragments that are unrelated one to another as a result.  Changing, frequently different leaders, non dynamic leaders, changing population demographics since 1970 and Judge Merhidge, all play parts in “why” but the fact seems to be there is no central view of what Richmond is much less what it can be in my opinion.  That is part of why any issue like baseball or any other is so difficult to deal with and why it frustrates so many,, wastes resources or is in the end often inconclusive and unfinished.

Lance

The only good thing about The Diamond getting renovated is that we’ll have an opportunity in a few years to fix the problem again.  Or we could put money toward enhancing our city and not letting someone slap us in the face with a lousy face lift - more like “permanent” makeup.  Again - go to http://www.openingdaypartners.com and check out the quality of their facilities.  We won’t be getting anything better than what they’ve already done, and most of their projects have the character of a Wal-Mart.

The worst thing about this idea is that it leaves both The Boulevard and The Bottom underdeveloped for the foreseeable future.  Nobody will be able to develop anything around The Diamond and capatalize on the growth in Scott’s Addition and MovieLand.

I pray the Mayor sees the light on this and doesn’t simply choose this plan because it’s cheaper because then it WILL be another 6th Street Marketplace - a standalone project that doesn’t encourage additional development. 

I truly believe the Mayor has a strong vision for Richmond’s future.  I hope he can weed through the complacency to take Richmond to a greater place.

If you believe Richmond is not “a Big Boy city”, then for you, it isn’t.  But I’ve been to bigger cities and they have the same lemons we do.  They choose to make lemonade while we talk about what they heck we’re going to do with all these lemons.  Maybe the purple martins can eat them - because God forbid we relocate the home of a species of bird that has been roosting here for all of 2 years.

That’s about all I can write at this point because I’m so unbelievably furious at the level of mediocrity that seems to be acceptable to our leaders and our citizens.

Baseball will fail in the city of Richmond for 4 distinct reasons.

First, Richmond is over 50% Black. That is a fact. Baseball is not a popular sport among Blacks. it used to be, not anymore. Football and Basketball attract all the young black males playing and watching sports. You need to look no further the MLB, minor league, or college rosters. There is just not a baseball connection with the Black community any longer. So it will be very hard to persuade a majority Black city to back minor league baseball.

Second, another larger segment of the Richmond population is empty nesters or yuppies. These groups don’t have kids, so there goes the “family of four” argument. People from these two groups might take in a game or two per year, but that is about it.

Third, we are depending on largely a suburban population that has to drive back to the city in which there has been a stereotype of criminality and mayhem after dark. I know that isn’t true, but there are many suburbanites that wouldn’t be caught dead in Richmond after happy hour (unless they in fact were literally…dead). Perception is reality, right or wrong.

Lastly, Baseball is no longer Americas pastime. Football is king! Basbeall is dying in TV ratings every year. Don’t try to tell me ticket sales are up as an argument, because most of those tickets are corporate and gimme’s. Only the Red Sox, Yanks, and maybe 5-7 other teams are relevant. Baseball is regional, and it’s enthusiasm doesn’t trickle down to the minor league level. I agree there was some enthusiasm when the Braves were hot. But that has long waned.

We need to face that Richmond is not a Big Boy city. If you want entertainment, go to DC. If you want to relax, go to the beach. Both are less than 1.5 hrs. I think betting on baseball for urban renewal is a colossal mistake. I vote for the money to go to hig speed rail so we can get to VA Beach or DC in a reasonable amount of time and enjoy their real amenities

Dave and theobserver - you both hit the nail on the head.

Wasting money by making surface improvements to the crumbling Diamond is a terrible idea. In order to earn a higher return on investment, you need to consider all the factors, and take on calculated risk. The Boulevard is a subpar area, and the Diamond renovations are a temporary fix. Kiss that $28 million goodbye, and open up your wallets when the foundation starts going beneath that shiny facade.

1. I’m not quite sure why the current city administration is taking such a hit on the failed Shockoe Center project. The developers proposed it as a private project and it didn’t work out.  What was the city supposed to do, round up investors for the developer?  Maybe they should have forced a bank to loan the developers money? 

Did the Wilder administration deserve most of the blame for the loss of the R-Braves?  Absolutely.  But I fail to see how the current administration deserves the blame for this.  In the current economic environment, the city is wise to be cautious about pledging taxpayer money or city resources for any speculative project.

2.  The mayor’s remark about wanting to “re-engage our regional partners” will likely fall on deaf ears.  Localities have just gone through a very painful budget process and next year’s budget will probably be even worse. I seriously doubt that the counties are going to pledge any new money for a ball park in the city.

3.  If the RMA is involved in a new or renovated ballpark, I doubt that Chesterfield will EVER put up any new money, regardless of the economy, at least I certainly hope not.  The RMA was a horrible landlord for the R-Braves and, in its current structure,  is a hindrance to regional cooperation in general.

4. If you post loooooong comments without any paragraph breaks, most people aren’t going to bother reading them.