New Home for Squirrels Back on Track, Three Localities Join Forces

After more than a year of stalemate, the three largest localities in the Richmond area have resumed discussions on potential locations for a minor-league baseball stadium, saying they hope to find a permanent home for the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A, Eastern League) by the end of the year.  Read more here.  Watch news report here.

Frustrated DiBella Makes Public Appeal for Action on New Ballpark

With local debate silenced on the future of The Diamond, the president and managing general partner of the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A, Eastern League) issued an open letter Tuesday to the “Greater Richmond Community” seeking a commitment from local leaders for a ballpark solution to ensure the team’s long-term future in Richmond (VA).  Read more here.

Shockoe Bottom Ballpark Opponents to Push Alternative Plan

Opponents of the proposed ballpark in Shockoe Bottom for the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A, Eastern League) are planning a series of public meetings this month to develop an alternative proposal that can be formally presented to the city.  Read more here.

Ballpark-Plus Protest Disrupts Richmond City Council Meeting

The Richmond City Council started 2015 with a bang, as activists disrupted Monday’s meeting and threatened city officials with more protests if the group’s demands are not met.  While opposition to the proposed Shockoe Bottom ballpark for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League) appeared to be the hook, there was clearly a broader agenda for the minor-sized faction.  Read more and watch video here.

Actress Asks Richmond Mayor to Withdraw Support for Shockoe Bottom Ballpark Plan

Actress Lupita Nyong’o has joined those urging Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones to reconsider building a new stadium in Shockoe Bottom for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League).  Nyong’o, who won an Academy Award for her role in the movie 12 Years a Slave, released a letter Sunday asking the mayor to instead preserve the site’s slave history.  Read more here.

Council Members Pursue Alternative Ballpark Route

Richmond (VA) City Council members introduced a series of stadium-related measures Monday night that collectively lay out an alternative course of action to the Shockoe Bottom baseball plan proposed by Mayor Dwight C. Jones.  Read more here.

Parent Club Executive: Keep Richmond Ballpark Plan Simple

Bobby Evans, vice president and general manager for the San Francisco Giants, the parent club for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League), is advocating for a streamlined approach that could create a more direct path to a new ballpark with the potential of generating surrounding development.  Read more here.

Still Working on Ballpark Lease Commitment in Richmond

Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones still doesn’t have a firm lease commitment from the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League) for a new baseball stadium proposed in Shockoe Bottom, but the team’s owners say they are making progress toward an agreement.  Read more here.

Shockoe Bottom Ballpark Plan Not Dead

The withdrawn proposal for a new baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom will return.  Today, Mayor Dwight Jones made it clear he was not going to back away from the Shockoe ballpark plan.  In May, the mayor took his proposal off the table before City Council members had a chance to shoot it down.  Read more and watch news report here.

Richmond Mayor Pulls Shockoe Bottom Ballpark Proposal Moments Before Vote

Moments before the Richmond (VA) City Council was set to vote on Mayor Dwight Jones‘ Shockoe Bottom revitalization plan that includes a new ballpark for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels, Jones reportedly pulled the plan to keep it from being voted down.  Read more here.

Majority of Council Members to Vote Against Shockoe Bottom Ballpark Plan Today?

Five members of Richmond (VA) City Council reportedly now say they plan on voting against the Shockoe Bottom ballpark plan when it comes up for consideration during Tuesday’s Council meeting.  Read more and watch news report here.

Funding for Shockoe Bottom Ballpark Restored

Richmond (VA) Mayor Dwight C. Jones and the City Council announced a budget deal Monday that restores most of the funding for the mayor’s plan for a Shockoe Bottom baseball stadium for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League).  The mayor had threatened to veto a council attempt to reallocate $12.6 million tied to the Shockoe development plan.  Read more here.

Alternative Richmond Ballpark Proposal Dead?

It doesn’t appear as though the city of Richmond (VA) will have an alternative to Mayor Dwight Jones’ Shockoe Bottom baseball proposal, after a trio of Chesterfield developers sent a letter to city officials seemingly pulling the plug on their privately-funded proposal to build a new ballpark on the Boulevard.  Read more here.

Flying Squirrels Owner Issues Statement In Response to Boulevard Ballpark Proposal

PRESS RELEASE – Please see the following statement from Richmond Flying Squirrels’ President & Managing General Partner Lou DiBella regarding ballpark planning:

New Privately Funded Ballpark Plan Reportedly on Deck in Richmond (UPDATED)

In sharp contrast to the Shockoe Bottom development plan that would be anchored by a new baseball stadium for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League), Richmond city council members have reportedly confirmed that a development group has offered to build a new ballpark on the Boulevard without using taxpayer dollars.  Read more here.  Watch news report here.  UPDATE:  A Midlothian-based company is behind the plan.

Shockoe Bottom Historic-Review Process Underway

A voluntary historic review of the Shockoe Bottom site slated for the proposed new ballpark for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League) is underway.  The process is projected to take three months for documentary research and expert review, followed by four months of archaeological excavation.  Preparing a final report and educational materials on the findings will take about 18 months.  Read more here.

Richmond Council Members Want Ballpark Consultant

The Richmond City Council voted 7-2 Monday to ask Mayor Dwight C. Jones to find $50,000 to hire outside consultants to help vet the plan to build a ballpark in Shockoe Bottom for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League).  Read more here.

Richmond Council Votes for Further Ballpark Negotiations

Monday night brought out hundreds of citizens to Richmond (VA) city hall for public comment on Mayor Dwight Jones’ Shockoe Bottom baseball stadium proposal.  After five hours of discourse council members voted 6-3 in favor of the resolution, which only supports furthur negotiations on the Shockoe Bottom plan.  Read more  here and here.

Battle of the Shockoe Bottom Billboards

Both supporters and opponents of the proposed new ballpark in Shockoe Bottom for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League) have bought billboards to advocate their positions.  On Tuesday the Land Use, Housing and Transportation Standing Committee voted to forward the proposal to the city council with no recommendations.  Read more and view billboards here.

Richmond City Council Disavows Involvement in Ballpark Petition Drive

The Richmond City Council issued a statement Thursday disavowing any involvement in a recent petition drive in support of the plan to build a baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom as questions also surfaced about what role the chairman of the Richmond Democratic Committee may have played.  Read more here.

Another Public Ballpark Meeting Held in Richmond

A crowd of about 75 showed up at a meeting in Richmond (VA) Tuesday night to hear more about the proposed Shockoe Bottom ballpark for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League) and vote on the most positive aspects of the project.  As you would expect, there were a few skeptics in attendance.  Read more here.

Shockoe Bottom Ballpark Opponents Offer Alternative

Opponents of the plan to build a baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League) have released an alternative proposal they say would allow development to occur while substituting a memorial park for a stadium.  Read more here.

Another Passionate Shockoe Bottom Ballpark Public Meeting Held

The Richmond (VA) City Council on Thursday held its final district public hearing of the year on the proposed new Shockoe Bottom ballpark for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League).  The meeting was described by the local paper as “passionate, divided and, at times, chaotic.”  Read more here.

Richmond Mayor Faces Tough Questioning Over Ballpark From Small Crowd at Public Forum

It was more hardball than softball Thursday night when Richmond (VA) Mayor Dwight C. Jones took questions on his proposal for a Shockoe Bottom baseball stadium for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League) at one of the first of many public forums scheduled throughout the city.  Read more here.

Council Committee to Take Up Shockoe Bottom Ballpark Plan

Richmonders will have their first chance to weigh in on the Shockoe Bottom ballpark proposal today when a City Council committee meets to begin the process of working through the details of the plan unveiled one week ago by Mayor Dwight C. Jones.  Read more here.

Richmond Mayor Answers Facebook Questions About New Ballpark

At the request of CBS 6 WTVR, Richmond (VA) Mayor Dwight Jones (via his press secretary) responded to questions and comments made on Facebook regarding the proposed new ballpark in Shockoe Bottom for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League).  Read more and watch news report here.

Shockoe Bottom Plan to Include $200K in Investment

The Shockoe Bottom plan to be unveiled today by Richmond (VA) Mayor Dwight C. Jones would reportedly involve private and public investment of more than $200 million and include a Kroger grocery store, a Hyatt hotel, 750 apartments, a parking deck, a ballpark for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League), and a slavery memorial.  Read more here.  View event photo gallery here.

Shockoe Bottom Announcement Monday

Richmond (VA) Mayor Dwight Jones will reportedly make an announcement Monday morning about building a baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League).  The administration is apparently planning a large event with city and business leaders to unveil the proposal.  Read more and view news report here.  Thanks to John Cerone for the link.

Activists Protest Shockoe Bottom Ballpark Proposal

A formidable coalition of activists and historical scholars drew a line at Richmond (VA) City Hall today over a proposal to build a new ballpark for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League) in Shockoe Bottom in what one historian called “the heart of the interstate slave trade” in the antebellum South.  Read more and view photo here.

Signaling Shockoe Bottom?

A key property in the footprint of a potential new baseball stadium for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League) in Shockoe Bottom has been sold.  Richmond (VA) Chief Administrative Officer Byron C. Marshall said Thursday that the city is “getting closer” to a decision on where to propose a new ballpark.  Read more here.

Richmond Leaders Visit Denver’s LoDo District, Coors Field

As Richmond (VA) city officials continue to evaluate building a new ballpark for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League), a delegation of 150 area leaders made the trek to Denver (CO) last week to learn about downtown redevelopment by visiting the city’s Lower Downtown District that was revitalized in the mid-90s by Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies.  Read more here.

Shockoe Bottom Site Still at Issue

Peter Galuszka, a Washington Post contributing blogger, highlights the lines being drawn between proponents of a new ballpark for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League) in downtown Richmond (VA) at Shockoe Bottom, and opponents who view the area as sacred ground where several hundred thousand Africans were sold into slavery and many were buried.  Read more here

Slavery Museum Proponents: No Ballpark in Shockoe Bottom

Just when you think there might be progress on a new stadium for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League) with the reemergence of the Shockoe Bottom location, proponents of a slavery museum on this “sacred ground,” once the heart of the slave trade, are telling ballpark supporters to look elsewhere.  This is obviously not a new issue, but opposition mobilization appears to be heating up.  Read more here and here.

Shockoe Bottom Back in Play for New Richmond Ballpark

The Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League) and Greater Richmond Chamber have confirmed that discussions about a new baseball stadium for the team have shifted from a regionally-funded project on the Boulevard to a larger economic development project downtown at Shockoe Bottom, which the city would leverage to help pay for the stadium without support from the area counties.  Shockoe