Richmond City Council unanimously adopted a resolution Monday night to request that the mayor “seek regional participation” in the development of a new baseball stadium in Richmond.
Richmond City Council unanimously adopted a resolution Monday night to request that the mayor “seek regional participation” in the development of a new baseball stadium in Richmond.
“[This] could be the saving grace of [a future stadium project]; this could be the thing that makes us start talking again seriously with our regional partners,” said Councilman Charles Samuels, one of the original patrons of the bill along with councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson and councilman Jonathan T. Baliles.
“Is this something that we need?” Samuels pondered. “And is this something that should be done as a region?”
All that was promised in the resolution, originally introduced September 8, 2014, was that the mayor will solicit support. The resolution was voted on after it was amended near the end of the meeting.
Public comment on the resolution yielded only those who opposed the stadium altogether, not the resolution in specific.
Samuels noted most of the attendees of a Flying Squirrels game at the Diamond are from Chesterfield, Henrico, and Hanover. “It really is a regional amenity,” said Samuels. “I think we ought to have the conversation whether or not it ought to be something that the region tackles together.”
Text in the resolution talks about the construction of The Diamond, Richmond’s current baseball stadium, which had collaborative support from the Counties of Chesterfield and Henrico.
The Diamond was constructed in 1984 by the Richmond Metropolitan Authority.
Samuels was one of the council members who opposed the mayor’s Shockoe Bottom proposal when it last came in front of the council. But financial support from the counties could change the councilman’s mind as to the future of the stadium.
“Provided we have the financial ability to build the new stadium while taking care of our schools, our infrastructure needs, our fire, our police, our teachers, than I would love to see a new stadium built,” said Samuels. “We have to gauge the importance of the new stadium in the context of the core functions of local government.”
