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eandslee

By eandslee
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HopHead City

HopHead

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I saw today that the owner of the Connecticut team may just move the team to Richmond himself... Seems like he's hellbent on leaving CT. Haven't seen anything knew on the stadium situation though. I did read a report somewhere (can't remember at the moment) that a group in NOVA is being formed to explore building a stadium up there for either a Single A or Double A team... I want to say the stadium is a bit smaller than the one proposed for Richmond.

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eandslee
eandslee

Looks like progress toward a new baseball stadium for VCU and the Flying Squirrels is going well, according to the article below. There is even the possibility of a new stadium ready by the 2023 seaso

eandslee
eandslee

Apparently, there is an announcement Monday morning in front of the Coliseum at 1100 with the Mayor and representatives from NH...in relation to the future of hockey in Richmond.  Looks like there is

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HopHead City

HopHead

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I suppose it was only a matter of time, but Chesterfield has appeared to throw it's hat in the ring on the new ballpark... The folks who run the SportsQuest facility in Chesterfield are interested in possibly providing land to build the new stadium, maybe even have an ownership stake. This pretty much goes against everything that was proposed for the bottom in terms of providing a stadium in an urban setting... This new idea just sounds very "blah" to me. But as long as the city drags its feet, look for this to become a reality...

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HopHead City

HopHead

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I feel like there's been new plans daily for a new ballpark in Richmond... Today, Ballpark Digest is reporting plans to renovate the Diamond at $28 million. Opening Day Partners (Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson is a principal) has released plans that if started by August, could enable for an opening day 2010 at the new facility. It's an 8,500 seat facility that includes a skateboard park, concert stage and winter ice skate rink ... They are looking to have a public-private partnership which will mean the group kicks in some cash for the new facility. This isn't as sexy as the Bottom proposal, but definitely avoids a lot of the politics and higher costs too... It may end up being the winner here. It sure beats the Chesterfield option IMO!

Edited by dbull75
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burt Megalopolis

burt

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Thanks for keeping up with the ever changing Shockoe/Diamond/Chesterfield baseball story, dbull. I look for your byline on other Richmond subjects as well.

It would seem the latest Diamond schemers will have to do some hustling if their construction start date is less than a month off. Either they have convinced some insiders in a cloak of secrecy, or are not aware of how slowly Richmond moves.

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HopHead City

HopHead

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Thanks for keeping up with the ever changing Shockoe/Diamond/Chesterfield baseball story, dbull. I look for your byline on other Richmond subjects as well.

It would seem the latest Diamond schemers will have to do some hustling if their construction start date is less than a month off. Either they have convinced some insiders in a cloak of secrecy, or are not aware of how slowly Richmond moves.

No problem Burt... Nothing beats the great Richmond ballpark debate. Charlotte's new ballpark is in a holding pattern for the time being, so keeping up with my old stomping grounds certainly is of interest. ;)

I agree that the construction schedule is pretty aggressive, however if I understand things correctly they will be utilizing some of the existing structure (like the lower bowl of the stadium), replacing seats, etc so it's certainly not out of the question. If Gwinnett County can build a brand new one from scratch in less than a year, there's no reason why Richmond can't refurb one in 6 months.

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HopHead City

HopHead

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It may make the most sense financially, but rehabbing the Diamond is like putting lipstick on a pig.

It may be, but the Blvd option is probably Richmond's best chance of getting minor league baseball back soon. It's less expensive and has little politics... I'd rather see the bottom proposal happen b/c I'm a fan of ballparks in an urban setting like that, but I get the feeling that (as Burt would put it) the fossil class will rule again. The city will continue to drag it's feet and that's why you have the Blvd plan and the Chesterfield one popping up. Wouldn't be surprised if someone else gets in the game either. Just don't let Short Pump become an option...

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burt Megalopolis

burt

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Indoor Football League planned for the region -- probably Chesterfield. The owners say they are looking for a 5,000 seat arena which means, I suppose, the Coliseum is not available or, maybe, not desirable.

The League will make Richmond (Chesterfield?) its headquarters

From this afternoon's RTD:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/sports/pr...-150801/276079/

Edited by burt
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HopHead City

HopHead

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Indoor Football League planned for the region -- probably Chesterfield. The owners say they are looking for a 5,000 seat arena which means, I suppose, the Coliseum is not available or, maybe, not desirable.

The League will make Richmond (Chesterfield?) its headquarters

From this afternoon's RTD:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/sports/pr...-150801/276079/

I've heard about this league through some friends of mine. I actually grew up down the street from Tom Benizio in Midlothian... Really nice guy. I think he was a GM for a few minor league hockey teams before... I want to say in Tennessee somewhere. He also started the Radford hockey team back in the 90s. Definitely a go-getter.

Interesting note about the arena in Chesterfield. I have a feeling if that gets built (maybe even bigger than 5k seats?) and if the baseball stadium were to be out there, you may not see sports in Richmond city again. Tis a shame!

Edited by dbull75
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burt Megalopolis

burt

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The league is actually headquartered in Shockoe Bottom (Haxall View I believe).

I've always thought Haxall View was an odd name for that converted warehouse-to-residential building on 21st Street between Main and Cary. Haxall canal is waaaay west of there; but perhaps there is some historical factor of which I am not aware. Was there something called Haxall in the area years ago?

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burt Megalopolis

burt

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Kickers beat Pittsburgh 2 to 1 in soccer on the opponent's turf.

I wonder what the attendance figure was up there? Richmond's average attendance is about 2,500 per game.

How will the Kickers do against an upcoming highly respected team from Guatamala at old U of R Stadium?

From today's RTD:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/sports/pr...-234403/276750/

Edited by burt
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HopHead City

HopHead

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It appears the Eastern League is determined to enter the Richmond market. They aim to spend $1M to freshen up the Diamond.

From today's RTD:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/sports/pr...-225001/277130/

Hopefully by the time they announce a team there will be a firm plan in place to either renovate the diamond or find a new location. This band-aid approach may work for a year or even two, but not long term...

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Shakman Burg

Shakman

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I believed someone a while back mentioned a new ballpark in Manchester? Reynolds seems to be thinking the same thing:

RTD Article:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/loca...-232601/277605/

What an excellent location; view of the James and the Skyline.

The article also mentions the six acre plant in Downtown. According to the article, the buyer will be selected around Labor Day for the Downtown plant.

Edited by Shakman
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jbjust Burg

jbjust

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This is outstanding news. In my opinion, that would be the ideal place for a ballpark. Close enough to downtown for all the benefits, but extending something over to the other side of the river is a good idea.

Reading the article, looks like the Canal Walk property was probably snatched up very quickly after the sign went up on the building. I have high hopes!!!

Edited by jbjust
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TBurban Town

TBurban

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Sweet! At least there are less NIMBY's in that area. It's even got better means of access than the Shockoe Plan with close proximity to all four of our major bridges.

Favorite quote EVER:

"How good would a ballpark look there?" asked John T. "Trib" Sutton III, senior vice president of CB Richard Ellis of Virginia, a real estate brokerage that is handling the sale of the property for Reynolds.

You're right about the Reynolds Property, jbjust.. :hi:

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