Mayor: Stadium will require regional financial commitment

Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones said the city is preparing a site along North Boulevard for a new baseball stadium, but he emphasized that construction would depend on a financial commitment from the region.

"All partners have to be ready to make the investment in the new stadium. The city cannot do it alone," he said Tuesday in a statement.

Jones was responding to the revelation that the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels had contacted Minor League Baseball to discuss a potential relocation after two seasons because of the team's unhappiness playing at The Diamond and the lack of progress toward a new stadium.

The same concerns prompted the Atlanta Braves to move their Triple-A franchise from Richmond after the 2008 season.

Lou DiBella, the Squirrels' president and managing general partner, reiterated Tuesday that leaders of the franchise and Richmond-area localities will continue to meet. Initially, the team was expecting a new stadium in 2013. Now, the soonest it could open is 2015.

"It's not my intention to leave, nor do I think I'm going to wind up leaving," said DiBella, whose group has spent about $2.5 million on upgrades to The Diamond.

Jones said the city is taking steps to prepare a site for construction of a stadium and that the "Squirrels acknowledge our commitment to this effort." The city has identified its Parker Field fleet-maintenance complex next to The Diamond and has taken early steps to relocate city and school-system operations there.

Jones said the city also has begun working with the state Department of Environmental Quality on a plan for environmental remediation of the site. A plan has not been submitted, but "once we receive DEQ approval, we can begin demolition at the site to further prepare that location," he said.

But details, including a schedule and cost, remain unclear. It's also unclear when the region may be in a position — politically and economically — to consider a new stadium, which could cost $50 million and take 18 months to build. The Flying Squirrels have said the team would commit a share equal to those of the participating jurisdictions.

On Tuesday, officials in Chesterfield and Henrico counties reiterated their support for the team but stopped short of signaling any willingness to finance a stadium. The issue of building a new stadium or renovating The Diamond has been discussed on and off since at least 2002.

Henrico County Manager Virgil R. Hazelett said team and local officials will continue meeting but added that he does not believe the Squirrels' inquiry into relocation will inject new urgency into the talks.

"I don't see that there's anything different," he said. "We're all willing to meet and discuss. Obviously, the economic situation is something we have to consider in everything we do."

Chesterfield County Administrator James J.L. Stegmaier agreed. "I understand they want to do something sooner rather than later, but I don't think (a serious conversation) will happen until we see more light at the end of the tunnel."

Chesterfield Board of Supervisors Chairman A.S. "Art" Warren said he has not seen any proposals to build a stadium. "Until that day that leadership is evident, we've got to focus on our needs in Chesterfield County. … It's a matter of priorities."

The Diamond is owned and managed by the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, which represents the city, Chesterfield and Henrico.

Frustrations over the lack of progress on a stadium prompted Richmond developer and activist Charlie Diradour to call a news conference outside The Diamond on Tuesday.

"It is obvious to me that at one point or another, the failure of leadership must be addressed here," said Diradour, a Squirrels season-ticket holder. "So, maybe by my words and actions, and the words and actions of others, we may spur that leadership to act."

Like the counties, Richmond must be realistic about what it can contribute to a stadium, given its limited funds and other, more-pressing needs, City Councilman Bruce W. Tyler said.

Tyler blamed Jones for scuttling a stadium that had been proposed for Shockoe Bottom. Tyler said the proposal, offered in 2008 by then-outgoing Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, "made perfect sense" because the stadium was intended to be financed with revenue generated by new private development.

"The ball is clearly in the mayor's court," Tyler said Tuesday. "He needs to come forward with solutions. It's that simple."

Tammy D. Hawley, the mayor's press secretary, said the Shockoe Bottom proposal was withdrawn by developer Highwoods Properties after a thorough vetting by the city and was "based on the fact that their plan for self-financing was not possible in the revenue bond market that existed at that time."

During the 2008 mayoral campaign, Jones said Richmond should aspire to attract a major-league franchise. He has since embraced the Squirrels, noting that baseball returned to Richmond under his administration.

Todd Parnell, the Squirrels' vice president and chief operating officer, heaped praise back on the city, saying "Richmond and Minor League Baseball are perfect together."

"We continue to have discussions with the Squirrels and the surrounding jurisdictions," Jones said Tuesday, "and we believe that everyone is as interested in keeping the Squirrels here as we are."