Richmond city officials are pondering whether a renovated Diamond will do for a Class AA Eastern League team.
Richmond (Va.) city officials are pondering whether a renovated Diamond will do for a Class AA Eastern League team.
Last week we pointed out that a renovated Diamond, the former home of the Richmond Braves (Class AAA; International League), would certainly work as the home to baseball in the city.
And sure enough, we received word last night that city officials were indeed considering a renovation of The Diamond, rather than a new $60-million ballpark, as a way to keep baseball in the city.
So don’t be surprised if momentum for a renovation gains steam. First off, it’s cheaper: you could renovate for less than half of the cost of a new ballpark. There are some serious financial and political issues facing the construction of a new ballpark in the city’s Shockoe Bottom area, but by positioning a renovated Diamond as the core of a new entertainment district funded by tax-increment financing, the city would get much more bang for its buck.
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