RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Hundreds of people attended a meeting last night to discuss plans to develop the 60-acre site on the Boulevard. With baseball’s future there in question, tensions ran high.
What began as a presentation from Trip Umbach consultants turned into a series of impassioned pleas to keep the Flying Squirrels on the Boulevard.
“We lost the Braves because of this. Don’t be a bad dog and chase the Squirrels out too,” said Jessie Jordan, who lives along the Boulevard.
Consultants said keeping baseball on the Boulevard will not have the highest economic impact for the city. Currently, the site produces $14.4 million for the city annually.
A major medical campus was considered the ‘ideal use’ for the site, anchored by a new children’s hospital. Such a development is unlikely to move forward after plans fell through in 2015.
Consultants said the most viable option for the site would be an urban scale mixed use development including housing, retail and dining. Supporters say they want to see the site become a major driver of economic development in Richmond.
Some have expressed a desire to see the current stadium renovated, while others propose building an entirely new stadium on site. There are also those who believe the stadium and mixed use development can both exist on the 60-acre site. Some have called on surrounding counties to pool resources for the project.
Squirrels Vice President Todd ‘Parney’ Parnell said he was impressed by what he heard from the public.
“The people here certainly were very very supportive of what baseball means to the Boulevard,” said Parnell.
After six public meetings, the consultants will submit a recommendation to the city.
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