PUBLIC SQUARE TONIGHT: Examining Richmond’s ballpark situation

There is the urban-renewal angle of the Shockoe Center proposal.

There is the familiar angle of The Boulevard.

And there is the angle that Mike Berry hopes ultimately tops the list: What's the best place for baseball in Richmond?

"Laying aside the economic-development vehicle to get it done, and laying aside the historical factor that it's been on the Boulevard [since 1954], [we need to] just say, 'Where in the community is the best place for professional baseball?'" said Berry, general manager of the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, which owns and operates The Diamond.

Tonight, the subject will be addressed at a Public Square organized by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Thomas A. Silvestri, publisher and president of the newspaper, said the program "will stage a civil debate of the latest proposed site for a Richmond ballpark [in Shockoe Bottom], and we look for a lively discussion from both sides and will allot ample time for the audience to join in.

"We'd also like to hear from the community on whether the ballpark is merely about baseball or what it says about our region," he added.

Richmond Baseball Club LC aims to purchase a Double-A franchise.

If successful, RBC will file a relocation application with Minor League Baseball, which will evaluate Richmond's ballpark situation. The Diamond, in its current condition, is not an acceptable long-term solution, Minor League Baseball officials have said.

For a primer on the ballpark situation as it stands, turn to Page B2.

Shockoe Bottom

• The centerpiece of a $318 million, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use development project would be an 8,000-seat, $60 million ballpark with 24 entertainment suites, picnic areas and a playground. According to planners, new local and state taxes and revenues generated by the development -- the ballpark, offices, condominiums, shops, apartments and restaurants -- are expected to be sufficient to pay the debt service on the tax-exempt bonds used to build the ballpark. The city continues to study the proposal.

• The chairman of RBC, Bryan Bostic, believes that a 2006 study by the British Urban Regeneration Association regarding ballpark planning principles clearly points to Shockoe Bottom as the appropriate spot in the Richmond area for a new baseball venue. Among the principles, the study concludes that new stadiums should be located "contiguously to promising development districts" and situated to "take advantage of landmarks or unique civic treasures." These, in Richmond's case, include the Slave Trail, Lumpkin's Slave Jail and the 17th Street Farmers' Market.

The study's principles "really define why Shockoe Bottom has been selected not just by us, but by the other urban planners that looked at our city," Bostic said. "They define success opportunities." He believes ballparks should be parts of larger entertainment districts.

• The city selected Highwoods Properties as the developer for Shockoe Center. Paul Kreckman, a vice president with Highwoods Properties, said it's unrealistic to believe the site will develop gradually on its own because of federal limitations related to the area largely being in a floodplain. He said the ballpark would allow the large-scale development to occur by providing green space to meet federal requirements for building in a floodplain and by establishing access from a concourse that would rise above flood level.

• Developers believe parking and traffic won't be a problem. They say that a typical game would require up to 2,000 parking spaces and that there are 4,100 existing surface and deck parking spaces within a four-block walk of the ballpark site. Additional traffic could be handled by following phasing plans for access improvement. Developers note that other cities have presented transit solutions for use with new urban ballpark districts.

• Attendance at The Diamond (12,134 capacity) dipped during the Richmond Braves' final few seasons and was an International League-low 4,455 last season, the R-Braves' final year on the Boulevard. Developers of Shockoe Center believe the franchise would receive stronger support at the gate because the ballpark would be a modern, fan-oriented baseball environment, heavily promoted by local ownership and surrounded by other entertainment options.

The Boulevard

• The Diamond, built for $8 million, opened in 1985. Its poor condition influenced the Atlanta Braves to relocate their Triple-A franchise to the Atlanta suburb of Gwinnett County, Ga., after last season. About 8,000 of its 12,134 aluminum, bench seats are in the upper deck. The Richmond Metropolitan Authority owns and operates The Diamond on behalf of the city and the counties of Henrico and Chesterfield. The site has good access to major roads and a large amount of surface parking.

• In 2003, the RMA planned an $18.5 million renovation of The Diamond. The Braves chose to explore the possibility of a downtown ballpark. The renovation plans -- including new clubhouses, new seats, a shift of seating arrangement, an open concourse, new restrooms and new concessions stands -- are still with the RMA.

"The renovation plan we had out there was one concept. Maybe there are other concepts that are out there," said Mike Berry, general manager of the RMA. "I think renovation would be an option, but also a new facility would be an option. It would seem like if the Shockoe Center development does not go forward, then there would have to be a re-examination of our alternatives.

"We do know that a renovation scenario is possible. Is it the best option? That decision has yet to be made."

• At this time, the RMA has no plan for a new ballpark on the Boulevard. Opening Day Partners does. The firm, based in Annapolis, Md., submitted one last year to the city that includes a $40 million stadium with a capacity of 8,500, 20 luxury suites, a picnic area, a playground, and an attached dome (35,000 square feet) for sports use and as a life-skills center for youths.

Peter Kirk, a 25-year veteran of the baseball business and chairman of Opening Day Partners, did not specify a site for his ballpark. His proposal, however, states that "a compelling argument may be made for maintaining baseball at its historic location at the Boulevard, and using a new, state-of-the-art, fan-friendly ballpark as the centerpiece of a redevelopment plan for the entire 60-acre site."

Kirk said yesterday that he views the Boulevard as a strong contender because "it's a proven location. If you mention professional baseball in Richmond, the Boulevard site comes front and center with young and old."

A financing plan for a new ballpark on the Boulevard would probably involve a private-public partnership, Berry and Kirk say. "In today's world, there are very limited resources on the part of local governments for this kind of activity," Berry said. "So anything you can do to minimize that, then obviously the better off you are."

Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or .