Amateur and college sports are back in the plans for Richmond’s North Boulevard. A revised vision for the $420 million Boulevard Gateway project calls for keeping Sports Backers Stadium, a soccer and track facility owned by Virginia Commonwealth University. Officials said yesterday that the venue would anchor a sports complex that could include an indoor/outdoor tennis facility for VCU and a new Arthur Ashe Center for the city.

A local group aiming to return professional baseball to Richmond hopes to purchase a franchise by March 1. In order to make the deal, the group says, it needs assurance that a new ballpark will be built. The Atlanta Braves’ Class AAA franchise left Richmond and moved to Gwinnett County, Ga., following last season. Braves officials made it clear they were tired of waiting for a firm plan for a stadium to replace The Diamond.