New Diamond District filings signal wind-up for stadium construction

A newer rendering of the Diamond District stadium entrance was filed with the city in recent weeks. (City documents)

More tangible signs that the Diamond District baseball stadium is moving forward are showing up at Richmond City Hall.

A site logistics plan for construction of the new ballpark was filed with the city late last week, along with a building permit application for temporary construction trailers.

A new rendering of the ballpark’s entrance has been filed, as have the project’s full set of design development documents – the last round of documents needed before construction plans are filed.

The logistics plan and application for the trailers were filed Friday, two days after the city secured financing for the stadium with $130 million in general obligation bonds. The bond sale was finalized last Wednesday and is scheduled to close today, July 30.

Friday’s City Hall filings were made by Gilbane Building Co., which has taken over as the general contractor for the stadium from previous GC Whiting-Turner. The switch is the latest in a roster change that results from an arrangement allowing the Richmond Flying Squirrels to take the lead on the stadium’s design and development, working with consultant Machete Group.

LaBella’s design development documents include elevations of the ballpark as it would be viewed from the field.

Leading the ballpark’s design are LaBella Associates, Ballpark Design Associates and KEI, which took over for previous stadium designer DLR Group and development consultant JMI Sports.

The latter two firms, along with Whiting-Turner and KEI, were part of the RVA Diamond Partners group led by Thalhimer Realty Partners, Loop Capital and Republic Properties that made up the initial team that won the Diamond District project in 2022 following a competitive solicitation process by the city.

Gilbane and LaBella, then known locally as Odell, had been on the runner-up team that was led by Machete, a Houston-based venue advisory and development management firm that has been formally consulting the Flying Squirrels for several months.

An earlier rendering of the 10,000-seat stadium, which would feature upper-level suites above concourse seating.

With the ballpark portion of the project now led by the Squirrels, Thalhimer and Loop earlier this year formed a new development group, Diamond District Partners, without previous collaborator Republic Properties, to oversee the project’s mixed-use sections.

Republic’s parent company responded with a $40 million lawsuit last week against TRP and Loop, which it said violated the terms of their venture partnership when the new group signed on to develop a 30-acre first phase of the 67-acre project. TRP’s parent, local commercial real estate firm Thalhimer, responded in a statement that Republic had put in writing that it intended to exit the project.

The financing for the stadium, to be paid for using tax revenues generated by the supporting mixed-use development, was one of the last remaining steps needing to be taken before construction could start on the project.

Still needed are signed lease and development agreements for the stadium between the Flying Squirrels and Richmond’s Economic Development Authority, as well as a lease agreement with Virginia Commonwealth University, which will also use the new EDA-owned 10,000-seat ballpark that will replace The Diamond.

In announcing the stadium bond sale last week, the city said the project is set to break ground in August, with stadium construction to start in the fall and the first-phase hotel, retail and residential development starting early next year.

The site logistics plan shows the stadium site with construction staging areas. The area is between The Diamond and the railroad tracks to the south.

The site logistics plan for the stadium work, prepared for LaBella by engineering firm Kimley-Horn, shows the area south of The Diamond will be fenced off with a short-term construction staging area alongside Arthur Ashe Boulevard and Gilbane’s trailers and additional staging off Avenue of Champions closer to Hermitage Road. The stadium site is between The Diamond and the railroad tracks on parcels at 2907 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. and 2728 Hermitage Road.

The city is aiming for the stadium to be completed and open in time for the 2026 baseball season, in order to meet new facility standards required by Major League Baseball for all pro baseball venues.

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