A Pennsylvania developer of minor-league ballparks has released renderings of a possible $40 million, 8,500-seat stadium for the Boulevard, but he’s open to building downtown, too.
Peter Kirk, a long-time team operator from the independent Atlantic League and a partner with Opening Day Partners, is working with former Richmond mayor Robert Bobb to develop the entire parcel. The City of Richmond put out a request for proposals. Kirk said his group could invest some money in the development but that minor league stadiums generally must be at least partly financed by local or state governments.
“If it were economically feasible to do these 100% privately, they’d be done all over the country. The truth is the economics don’t work,” Kirk said in an interview yesterday. “You need that government involvement.”
The plan also proposes a Brooks Robinson Life-Skills Center, a 35,000-square-foot dome for some kind of athletic development program aimed at teenagers and summer programs. And the plan could include a skating rink, depending on the level of financial support from local and state governments. You can see all the renderings here.
The proposed stadium’s seats will be padded, and there will be 20 luxury suites with theater-style balcony seats.
He is also considering options to place an independent team here, he said. In that case, he’d likely look for a local partner.
A team could conceivably play at the Diamond next year and in a brand new stadium the following season, he said. “Everyone would need to know that’s the objective pretty quickly. You have to do schedules and get things organized.”
Kirk invited officials from the RMA, which manages the Diamond, to his new stadium in Waldorf, MD to see how it operates.
Kirk said he has an attachment to Richmond because he daughter attended the University of Richmond.
Aaron Kremer is the BizSense Editor and one-time designated hitter. Please send story tips to [email protected]
A Pennsylvania developer of minor-league ballparks has released renderings of a possible $40 million, 8,500-seat stadium for the Boulevard, but he’s open to building downtown, too.
Peter Kirk, a long-time team operator from the independent Atlantic League and a partner with Opening Day Partners, is working with former Richmond mayor Robert Bobb to develop the entire parcel. The City of Richmond put out a request for proposals. Kirk said his group could invest some money in the development but that minor league stadiums generally must be at least partly financed by local or state governments.
“If it were economically feasible to do these 100% privately, they’d be done all over the country. The truth is the economics don’t work,” Kirk said in an interview yesterday. “You need that government involvement.”
The plan also proposes a Brooks Robinson Life-Skills Center, a 35,000-square-foot dome for some kind of athletic development program aimed at teenagers and summer programs. And the plan could include a skating rink, depending on the level of financial support from local and state governments. You can see all the renderings here.
The proposed stadium’s seats will be padded, and there will be 20 luxury suites with theater-style balcony seats.
He is also considering options to place an independent team here, he said. In that case, he’d likely look for a local partner.
A team could conceivably play at the Diamond next year and in a brand new stadium the following season, he said. “Everyone would need to know that’s the objective pretty quickly. You have to do schedules and get things organized.”
Kirk invited officials from the RMA, which manages the Diamond, to his new stadium in Waldorf, MD to see how it operates.
Kirk said he has an attachment to Richmond because he daughter attended the University of Richmond.
Aaron Kremer is the BizSense Editor and one-time designated hitter. Please send story tips to [email protected]
exactly what we need double a or single a on boulevard where it feels safe to let your teens go with friends its the show entertainment not just baseball look at the trenton n j team rich needs this rand d rob and duplicate