Exclusive: Developers drop Shockoe ballpark project

Jack, that’s where you’re wrong. The “juvenile sports addictions” is so off base its laughable. 

This is about improving the viability of this city.  I would support anything that makes this city a more attractive place to live REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT I WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT!  This city desperately needs more entertainment options: sports, music, social venues, etc.  People want to do more than just watch fireworks on the 4th of July and watch the holiday parade on Broad Street in December.  And the city (with tax money) has to play a role in making that happen.  Otherwise lets just accept being South Hill, VA (North).

And anytime people are against something and don’t want to pay for it they throw out the “school system needs money” argument But let someone mention raising taxes for the school system and you’ll catch have holy h*ll.

And it’s interesting how people around here are more proud of blocking projects than they are of creating exciting new projects for this city. 

Do you folks visit other cities?  If you enjoy Richmond being a second rate city just admit it.  But this talking out of both sides of our mouth is frustrating, you can’t be a big city and a small town at the same time.

Choose one or the other and focus on either being the best major city possible or the best small town possible.  But reverting back to being Mayberry everytime someone wants to do something innovative that requires tax money makes no sense. 

Even when VCU wants to do things to improve the city they have to jump over so many road blocks because somebody wants to claim a old horse stable is “historic” just to prevent progress.  Want to build a stadium in Shockoe Bottom?  Now suddenly somebody insist on perserving the slave trail.  Guarantee, you won’t hear another word about the slave trail until somebody else wants to develop that land.

It would be interesting to know how many of the posters here actually read the Davenport report.  That report clearly stated that the city would have to put up about $58 million in city-backed bonds to make the project work, and Highwoods was calculating the expected city growth and revenues based on pre-recession, inflated figures.  Also, the ball park would have been only one small part of the gigantic complex, which would have been shoehorned into an area that was really too small to hold it.  Richmond and the surrounding area has more square footage of vacant retail space per capita than any other city its size.  Many of the new condos and apartments that have been built in the Bottom area sit unoccupied.  The developers had not begun to discuss using existing parking space belonging to the state and private entities, but claimed that by using those parking spaces, they would provide enough parking for the park.  The $8 million in city-financed infrastructure improvements they “budgeted” for fell about $4 million short, according to Davenport estimates.  Richmond was being asked to commit fully one tenth of its debt capacity to a privately-owned, for-profit entity, and if the development failed to generate the $67 million in revenues it claimed it would, we would have been left with a lowered credit rating and $58 million less to spend on needed schools, police and fire personnel, roads and infrastructure.  High speed rail, for those of you who are ignorant of what it is and what it is used for, has been mandated by Congress.  It actually will be something that not only improves the quality of life in this city, but will move it into a 21st Century city.  Our Mayor and Governor were called to Washington a couple of weeks ago and told that it would be happening here - period.  The funds have been set aside and plans are already being drawn.  The bus transfer terminal is an intelligent, practical use for the Main Street Station shed, and something that will definitely benefit everyone in the city and counties.  The fact that Highwoods could not get financing for this project is not the fault of the Mayor, City Council or citizens who questioned the feasibility of the project.  It is due to the fact that the developers’ numbers did not add up and the development plan was based on inflated, over-optimistic figures that would not be realized in any economic climate, let alone this one.

herr prof -

Nice points, I appreciate the thought that went into them.

I think that while you may be right in the case of most minor league cities and the ballpark’s effect on development, I don’t think its a stretch to say that Richmond is a little different than most. We’re a capital city and the Bottom has proved to support local businesses and real estate. It’s an area that is already on the rise, or already being re-developed, which you stated is a necessity for success.

The major league ballpark examples you chose don’t really fit here. The Philadelphia stadiums, for example, is an entire complex of sports facilities, including practice facilities for football. It is surrounded by a lot of local businesses, and is a suburban area that is not meant to be developed. In short, it’s South Philly.

Also, major league ballparks or the business of major league baseball almost NEVER applies to minor leagues. The reasons the majority of people attend are different (ie - people don’t go because they love the San Fran Giants, they go for the CHEAP exp. and entertainment), which changes the entire business plan of a minor league front office.

The “build it and they will come” is not just hopes and dreams. Its based on the evidence that Richmond has more than supported baseball in the past (over 550k fans/customers/whatever you want to call them per season). Its also based on the evidence that minor league baseball in general has become even more successful as a family activity of choice.

Again, comparing this project to the 6th Street Market is just wrong. Its an organized sporting event that is proven to draw, not a retail spot in an area of town that the majority of the MRA does NOT work in.

Trust me, I *want* baseball back, but I don’t want to see this city (and localities, perhaps, in the case of the diamond) trip and fall on its face, and spend the money on this stadium that will not have even close to the same impact as other locations in the city. Its a wasted investment, and if they don’t rebuild the whole Diamond, then you can bet there will be issues with the new construction/foundation in a few years.

A couple of points:

1) There is no strong correlation between stadiums and economic development in minor league cities. Read the actual studies in some interesting urban planning journals…they suggest that it takes more than baseball.

2)Even in major league cities the correlation betweeen development and ballparks is tenuous. Generally the development begins BEFORE the ballpark is built, thus luring the big money to that area (Baltimore, Cleveland, SF, etc.) New stadiums simply don’t have the breadth (78 days a year) and the draw (mostly baseball) to create communities. Have you ever wanted to stick around the areas of Yankee Stadium, or the Phillies or Nats or Mets new stadiums? They are new and shiny…but you go for the game, and after you go somewhere else!

3) Shockoe Bottom has been in the never-ending process of development for at least 25 years and the “potential” that many are talking about seems lost on me. The “if you build it, they will come” idea has worked only in limited batches in this area and mostly with night life. Even in the attempt to create a bar district the area has struggled in spurts. There have been some wonderful vendors and shopping, but people simply don’t spend much time there. Richmond may be saturated with kind of shopping, restaurant, entertainment uses suggested for this project. And lord knows we have no shortage of downtown office space available.

4) Richmond is not a second class city, but it is not a major market and our location guarantees that we likely will never be. As a middle market city, we can only support but so much, albeit with our own special flair.  A minor league team can do well enough, but an entire urban revitalization program linked to a stadium seems unrealistic here. Many of the analogies in previous posts are unfounded here, but some history (Main Street Station Mall, 6th Street Market) suggests that our local money spenders are not willing to venture into the city for much more than they are already doing. To be honest, there are folks in the counties who won’t eat in some of our terrific restaurants in the city because of the huge restaurant tax. If they are a part of the area’s necessary draw for this project to work, how can we rely on them?

5) If the renovation suggested for the Diamond DOES lure a team, why are those who claim simply to want baseball back in Richmond NOT HAPPY? I love the game, watching it at Tuckahoe Little League, local high schools, and even VCU and UR games. I’d love to go to the Diamond or any stadium that will give me a reasonable opportunity to see a good game, a hot dog, and a cold beer, AND…when it is done and over, I drive home like it was a minor league game…happy, not too broke, and not in a 2 hour traffic jam. If I wanted all the other amenities, I’d go see a major league team.

Anyhow, not for or against anything but a return of baseball: a luxury (NOT NECCESSITY) that we deserve.

Devils,

I’d have to disagree. As someone that has lived all over the east coast, I’ve experienced that minor leaguers have more heart for the game since none of them are making money and want to move up to the bigs to play and get large contracts. The minor league games are way less expensive, more of a family feel, and you can show up the last minute at the gate and get cheap tickets right behind the cather. These players play hard and are trying to earn a spot on the Major league team. But, if you are only in it to see the big names play, then yes it wouldnt be so exciting for someone wanting that. Unless the big name is sent down for a rehab start or stint.