A rendering of the Richmond Amphitheater in the works for the hillside beside Tredegar Iron Works. (Images courtesy 3North)
Richmond’s version of Red Rocks is ready to rock on.
The group behind the proposed Richmond Amphitheater announced Monday it has worked out a performance grant agreement with the City of Richmond to make the downtown riverfront venue a reality in time for the 2025 outdoor concert season.
The agreement was to be introduced by the Richmond City Council at its meeting Monday night, according to a release from the group led by Coran Capshaw’s Red Light Ventures. A vote to approve the agreement would come at a future meeting.
Pending council approval, the city would provide a 20-year performance grant based on the new incremental real estate and admissions tax revenue generated by the project to help offset the project cost.
The release added that the group is aiming to start construction this summer to open the amphitheater in time for the 2025 season. The 7,500-capacity venue would host 25 to 35 acts a year, and the arrangement with the city would allow Richmond and local nonprofits to utilize the venue for civic events, including graduation ceremonies, public forums and city-sponsored cultural events.
The $30 million project is to be paid for by Capshaw’s group, which would lease the 4-acre site on the hillside behind the Tredegar Iron Works complex from property owner NewMarket Corp.
“Creating a Richmond amphitheater has been a long-term goal of veteran music industry executive Coran Capshaw of Charlottesville,” the release said. “Approval of the performance grant by City Council is the first step.”
The 7,500-seat outdoor amphitheater would fill a 4-acre site uphill from Tredegar.
Capshaw, who manages the Dave Matthews Band and is involved in the ownership or management of similar venues across the country, led the development of Ting Pavilion, the 3,500-seat amphitheater on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall. His Red Light Management group also co-manages the 6,800-capacity Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville.
The group has compared the Richmond venue in size to Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater and the Live Oak Bank Pavilion in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Richmond Amphitheater is planned for a total capacity of 7,500, with three sections of fixed seating, pit seating and a lawn facing a covered main stage that would be framed against Tredegar.
The 7,500-capacity venue would include fixed seating, pit seating and a lawn facing a covered main stage.
Monday’s release included quotes attributed to Capshaw and city officials. The release quoted Capshaw as saying Richmond “is known for its vibrant arts and music scene, but for too many years, big-name artists have bypassed the city because it didn’t have a suitable venue.”
“This spectacular location offers the ideal place to showcase and build upon the growing energy surrounding Richmond’s riverfront,” Capshaw said.
In his comments, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney referred to the amphitheater as “the Riverfront Performing Arts Venue,” in relation to the grant agreement.
“An amphitheater for Richmond will attract tourism from across Virginia, enhance investments and revenue for our city, and provide patrons with endless entertainment opportunities. This amphitheater agreement is yet another example of Richmond’s strong economy,” Stoney said.
The venue would also showcase the site’s historic features, including stonework along the canal and other ruins on the site that would be preserved. Existing parking in the area is expected to accommodate the venue, similar to the Richmond Folk Festival and other events held at the riverfront.
Plans for the amphitheater were unveiled by BizSense last summer. The group had initially aimed to strike a deal with the city last fall, but negotiations continued through this year, prompting the group to push back its opening by a year.
A rendering of the Richmond Amphitheater in the works for the hillside beside Tredegar Iron Works. (Images courtesy 3North)
Richmond’s version of Red Rocks is ready to rock on.
The group behind the proposed Richmond Amphitheater announced Monday it has worked out a performance grant agreement with the City of Richmond to make the downtown riverfront venue a reality in time for the 2025 outdoor concert season.
The agreement was to be introduced by the Richmond City Council at its meeting Monday night, according to a release from the group led by Coran Capshaw’s Red Light Ventures. A vote to approve the agreement would come at a future meeting.
Pending council approval, the city would provide a 20-year performance grant based on the new incremental real estate and admissions tax revenue generated by the project to help offset the project cost.
The release added that the group is aiming to start construction this summer to open the amphitheater in time for the 2025 season. The 7,500-capacity venue would host 25 to 35 acts a year, and the arrangement with the city would allow Richmond and local nonprofits to utilize the venue for civic events, including graduation ceremonies, public forums and city-sponsored cultural events.
The $30 million project is to be paid for by Capshaw’s group, which would lease the 4-acre site on the hillside behind the Tredegar Iron Works complex from property owner NewMarket Corp.
“Creating a Richmond amphitheater has been a long-term goal of veteran music industry executive Coran Capshaw of Charlottesville,” the release said. “Approval of the performance grant by City Council is the first step.”
The 7,500-seat outdoor amphitheater would fill a 4-acre site uphill from Tredegar.
Capshaw, who manages the Dave Matthews Band and is involved in the ownership or management of similar venues across the country, led the development of Ting Pavilion, the 3,500-seat amphitheater on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall. His Red Light Management group also co-manages the 6,800-capacity Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville.
The group has compared the Richmond venue in size to Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater and the Live Oak Bank Pavilion in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Richmond Amphitheater is planned for a total capacity of 7,500, with three sections of fixed seating, pit seating and a lawn facing a covered main stage that would be framed against Tredegar.
The 7,500-capacity venue would include fixed seating, pit seating and a lawn facing a covered main stage.
Monday’s release included quotes attributed to Capshaw and city officials. The release quoted Capshaw as saying Richmond “is known for its vibrant arts and music scene, but for too many years, big-name artists have bypassed the city because it didn’t have a suitable venue.”
“This spectacular location offers the ideal place to showcase and build upon the growing energy surrounding Richmond’s riverfront,” Capshaw said.
In his comments, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney referred to the amphitheater as “the Riverfront Performing Arts Venue,” in relation to the grant agreement.
“An amphitheater for Richmond will attract tourism from across Virginia, enhance investments and revenue for our city, and provide patrons with endless entertainment opportunities. This amphitheater agreement is yet another example of Richmond’s strong economy,” Stoney said.
The venue would also showcase the site’s historic features, including stonework along the canal and other ruins on the site that would be preserved. Existing parking in the area is expected to accommodate the venue, similar to the Richmond Folk Festival and other events held at the riverfront.
Plans for the amphitheater were unveiled by BizSense last summer. The group had initially aimed to strike a deal with the city last fall, but negotiations continued through this year, prompting the group to push back its opening by a year.
Richmond, please don’t screw this up!
Agreed!
It’s a by-right development by private developers, So that should comfort you
By right does not mean during permitting, or processing the agreement, or payment calculations from tax revenues that the City won’t screw something up.
Amen!!!
I hope they also build a parking garage.
There are plenty of parking garages in the area. Not everyone has to park within a block of their destination.
Macon Powers, I agree wholeheartedly. Richmond can’t say it wants to encourage tourism without adequate parking with clear signage to navigate there. If I drive to VA Beach for a day, they have public parking. If I drive to a concert in Charlottesville I can park in a parking deck, along the street, and some of the local churches will offer parking as a fundraiser during football season. For some of us that recently moved to the area, it’s nearly impossible to find parking for some of these hidden Richmond gems unless you are “in the know.” Yet, on these forums,… Read more »
Have you tried googling “Parking in Downtown Richmond”? There is an extensive list of websites and even some that list all the free spots. Typically, events on Brown’s Island and Tredegar Iron Works have parking maps listed on their sites including spots for shuttles. I’m this venue will be the same. It would be silly not to have that there. Additionally, handicap spots or shuttles are something that is required. Usually, the close in parking lots will be reserved for emergency vehicles, some workers and handicap spots. Lastly, I know that almost every street I drive on in downtown Richmond… Read more »
@David Humphrey I feel that is quite condescending coming from what I assume is a Richmond local. As a transplant, more understanding from locals would be great and maybe all residents could come to some point of resolution. Some of us transplants are used to a certain level of mobility in the cities from which we came. To further my point, I did as asked. See my photo. Again I ask where is the parking in relation to the red circle? Answer a lot with roughly 30 spaces, and street parking. I was raised to ask questions even if not… Read more »
Actually attending events on Browns Island I often park on the south side of the river and walk across the T-pot bridge. While there are no public parking decks immediately adjacent to this venue, as the maps shows there are many within a 3-4 block distance from the red circle. People may have to walk a few blocks, but at least it is not across a river and along trails. Also, for events like the Folk Festival and other big festivals they do run shuttles that drop you off between this location and the War Memorial from big parking lost… Read more »
Anne, Welcome to RVA! Yes, the mansplaining and pats on the head can be exhausting. Keep asserting your POV.
Thanks for the warm welcome Victoria! I have a development background so it’s truly funny some of the things I see in the comments. I could write a whole case study on Scott Addition parking which most devs “double count street parking” so those 10 street spaces are counted by 4 different apartment or retail buildings totals, which leads to what? Lack of parking for consumers. Manchester residents need to drive to a grocery store, which means they need car parking. Richmond is a small to medium-sized metro which like most cities of this size is going to be pretty… Read more »
Yes, welcome, and yes, as I have pointed out for years Scott’s is a VERY unusual hype-driven case but as Donald Trump pointed out in the 80s, hype often becomes reality eventually— the fact that much of Broad Street remains vacant while people cram into rather ugly Scott’s is interesting. Manchester will work itself out — I always point out how over-grocered the Fan is you can walk from Fesh Market to Kroger in ten minutes AND hit two grocers alo g the way — or, you can walk the other direction and hit the Whole Foods…
HEY! It is hardly just MEN who are moral scolds. Certainly the Urban Male tends to be more annoying in that dept, but this ain’t mansplaining!
Anne – a heartfeld Welcome to RVA to you! Very glad you’re here. 🙂 I know it doesn’t help, but I’m sorry you were talked down to on this forum, particularly considering you’ve just moved here and haven’t gotten a good read yet as to the lay of the land. As someone born-and-raised in the River City, I’m proud – and honored – that you made Richmond your city of choice. 😊 You bring some good points about the parking relative to the location of the amphitheater. That whole area south of the expressway to the riverfront has been so… Read more »
Peter thanks for your warm welcome! It’s definitely a place that takes getting used to the lay of the land especially with a lot of streets that have similar names across town from each other, but I believe RVA is a hidden gem that is being revealed to the masses. As a pro-mass transit person, I thank you for looking for a middle ground of my concerns. I’m actually all for mass transit improvements and can envision a tram system down Broad, street cars in Carytown, and in an ideal world a Ferry system like the Norfolk to Portsmouth system… Read more »
I definitely like your way of thinking, Anne! I’d also love to see some form of light-rail or street cars in operation here. Unfortuanately, I don’t think RVA has yet freed herself from some of the very outmoded mindsets that don’t plague other cities, particularly our chief economic competitors such as Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville, Austin, Columbus (Ohio). We’re getting there – but we have a long way to go. Sadly, we still collectively tend to be overly risk-averse and far less bullish about Richmond’s tremendous growth potential than we should be. Unfortunately, quite a few folks in the River City… Read more »
I share your enthusiasm foe Richmond but one needs to not put the cart before the horse. Richmond actually DOES have a few trendy White Elephants in its history, and I have lived in cities that suffered from that in the 70s and eighties. I like trams an light rail too, but all those cities you mention all well ahead of RVA and I know that Charlotte at least had to make it free — if you look at how much pulse cost, can you imagine what light rail would have? KC, on my list of America’s most underrated cities,… Read more »
Peter all that you have stated about the growth will force the hand of some of the barriers inhibiting RVA’s growth. The population growth will demand mass transit updates or we will end up like NOVA, which I see the “Don’t NOVA my RVA” stickers all around. To do that changes need to be made so that when we do drive sitting in traffic gridlocks don’t happen everywhere. I’m glad to bring a fresh perspective to the area. I believe there are others like me that have lived elsewhere that will ask the local government the same questions. Even in… Read more »
BRAVA! You dealing with ideologes here so expect a LOT of arguing against reality. They think they are in the process of getting rid of the automobile and that that project is going well.
THIS. One of the things I loved about tiny downtown Ithaca, NY was the free parking garage that helped make the place such a great destination for its size. People here seem to think that this should just be for Richmonders who walk — meanwhile, that Tredegar area is ALREADY without adequate parking every time there is some event. I agree that moat people should be expected to walk a few blocks but….
Thanks Shawn, it’s nice to see some logical commentary around Scott’s for once! Fun area, but attempting to visit friends or anything in Scott’s is a pain if you don’t live directly in that area. You park in sketchy dark alleys to walk 5 blocks to your destination. Not a fun stroll for a woman at night. Conversely those residents live in a food desert, so they need cars for access to groceries, clothing, and essentials. I’m excited to see how the expanse of the Westwood and Diamond area goes, I feel more planning to avoid those pain points will occur.… Read more »
Yes, as I’ve pointed out elsewhere I am QUITE familiar with NYC and it is a very special place. I was also a skeptic on Pulse because BRT usually worked in developing countries where people can’t afford cars. When they couldn’t get enough riders they made it free and declared victory. Hey, wait until August and it won’t be friendly to man or dog. I considered buying a residence there because I wanted to move back to Richmond proper and it was in the Fox school zone— but this was before the boom and it was too unpleasant. The place… Read more »
As far a fan grocers go, it’s frankly bizarre and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it anywhere. On the other side over in Church Hill area, you’ very got ONE place that was even subsidized I think by the Ukrops people to help Johnny Johnson (Google Community Pride Grocery for a history lesson) open a classy location.
Forget Manchester — there’s nothing else on the OTHER side of the River in the eastern half of Richmond!
I agree about that the parking and I am a native! I think it’s a dumb idea when Richmond coliseum is not far away and built just for that reason! Just renovate the coliseum and call it a day!
Awesome!!! – but where are these 7500 people supposed to park?
Where they do for every other event down there. There is plenty of garage parking downtown. Not everyone needs to park immediately adjacent to their destination.
All I am asking for is that the City encourage developers/venue owners to take parking into consideration. For example, they could take the parking lot that is on the corner of Spring and Belvedere & make that a parking garage instead of a parking lot. They could add a large parking deck on the Tredegar parling lot.
Once again, why should they have to provide more parking when there is already enough? I would rather see something more useful than a parking garage go on the site at Spring and Belvedere. Plus, the new Costar building will likely have a substantial of new parking with it. So there is your new parking within close proximity.
Once again, we see an anti-car ideology being expressed. People see what they see and don’t care that someone parks across the river.
I am VERY pro bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and in my early 20s pedal-commuted places that almost everyone thought nuts, but even such people get married, have kids, care about crime and schools don’t want to drag other family members into the heroism.
This mindset is especially funny because large parts of Cary St are still full or partial block vacant parking lots near here. Never mind all of the street parking downtown and all of the existing parking decks. If you were talking about Shockoe Slip or the State Capitol, I’d at least agree there isn’t much free parking, but even those areas have plenty of pay lots/garages. The entire city has pretty lax parking compared to any other thriving downtown area I’ve visited.
Brown’s Island is next door and has a capacity for 16,000, and they have no problem filling up for events like Friday Cheers without a dedicated parking lot. Most large venues require participants to walk some distance, at RIR there is parking 1/4 mile from the venue. At this location, that would put you well into downtown, which is further than I’ve ever had to walk to find parking for a large event at Brown’s Island.
RIR has parking a quarter mile away because parking close is so expensive.
There are enough parking spots within 2 blocks for all 7,500 people to drive their own car. CoStar has a huge deck, Dominion has a huge deck, and there are two 8-plus-story RMA garages at 9th and Canal. And then take into consideration open-air lots and street parking. Should be a non-issue.
Maybe ask the 10,000 or so folks who were on Brown’s Island last weekend for Dominion RiverRock. In addition to the garage on Bragg St behind Costar (where I easily parked on 2 of the 3 days of RiverRock), there are a multitude of garages and lots on the other side of the expressway including several surface lots between Canal & Cary … and then there are drops for ridesharing, bikes, pedestrians, etc
As a GRTC supporter, there is a very convenient bus stop when coming from south of the river and one within a couple of blocks from the north side…
Gee, better up my downvore game… you are KILLING it, you must be over some targets!!!
Shawn – too funny, my ratio is a few shy of my all time record of -65! ha!
This is more important than an arena and/or a baseball park IMO. And it costs the taxpayers nothing to get it. Congrats to the City and Capshaw.
“Pending council approval, the city would provide a 20-year performance grant based on the new incremental real estate and admissions tax revenue generated by the project to help offset the project cost.”
That’s not nothing, unfortunately. The city’s admissions tax is the real reason that so many events bypass the city for Charlottesville or Tidewater. Giving this venue and only this venue a tax break on that is a handout to the developer, and is unfair to all the other performing arts venues in the city.
eh, 50% correct at most. By statute, localities can but are not required to charge an admission tax of up to 10%. Charlottesville does not have one, Richmond’s is 7% which is less than the 10% Va Beach and Norfolk charge. Events bypass us because we have terrible facilities – no coliseum and an inconvenient/fan-unfriendly amphitheater out at the racetrack
“Fifteen thousand tickets at $50 each totals $750,000. In Charlottesville, the promoter, the company or person that facilitates booking and paying the artist and all fees and expenses associated with a concert, gets the full $750,000. In Richmond, with the 7 percent admission tax, the promoter only gets $700,934.58.”
https://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/opinion-we-shouldnt-raise-the-admission-tax/Content?oid=14548194
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? If you were building a venue, would you put it in Richmond or somewhere within an hour’s drive that didn’t have an admission tax, which you know would add 7% to your profit margins?
well now you are moving the goalposts and limiting your analysis to Cville. I assume that is because you agree that with an admission tax *higher* than Richmond, events are not bypassing Richmond for Tidewater. As to Cville, the guy building this amphitheater is doing BOTH – he lives in Charlottesville and got his start with the amphitheater there and now he’s building one here. A reasonable assumption would be that he wouldn’t be sinking his own millions into this venture if he didn’t believe it was financially viable and allow him to have the chicken and the egg only… Read more »
I LOVE Richmond, in spite of the management and some of the prevailing politics and busy body ideologies. Yes, all cities have their problems but that is nearly meaningless as a statement; there are VAST differences in how cities are run and what is expected by the voters. Some want more competence, some others more corruption and graft (I am from the NE so I have seen both)
Admissions tax is added to the cost of the ticket and paid by the person buying the ticket; it works just like sales tax and meals tax. It is not paid by the promoter, it is paid by the purchaser. It costs the promoter nothing more than the administrative costs of collecting the money and remitting it to the city. The promoter in Richmond is in no way losing 7%.
I applaud yor bravery Sir!
It’s still puzzling to my why it takes the City of Richmond so long to get projects off the ground. The negotiations started last summer, and it’s still not finalized!
If they only took a month or two people would accuse them of not doing their due diligence (like with the Redskins practice facility). You don’t know, maybe they asked for the financials of the other venues so they could assess what bond amount would work and then weren’t given said financials in a timely manner. We don’t know, but at least it didn’t take 20+ years like a new baseball stadium…
Let us see incompetent City leadership, understaffing of lower level critical positions, poor software/programming/networks, and poor fiscal management. Need I go on?
What is with the people that come crawling out of the woodwork crying about parking ANYTIME anything cool or dense or innovative is proposed or planned for the city. With them it’s either that the city is their own personal fiefdom and they should be able to park where they want and when they want and GOD FORBID you take the (public) space out front of their house or they see the city not as a place people live in but visit from the suburbs on the weekends or after work. This is the easiest damn city to park in,… Read more »
The City needs to rebuild the Kanawha Canal and James River Canal’s missing link by building new canal locks between the Haxall and James River Canal so that Co Star’s new building and this new theater don’t block the canal in the future.
Everyone is complaining about car parking. I just want to know if kayak parking will be ample as I’ll be using the canal to get to these shows.
Good on you! but how do you keep it from getting stolen – I have found that if valuables are not nailed down – they disappear.
Also, how does the wife/partner, 2 kids, and the stroller fit in the kayak?
I plan to take the English Narrow Boat or the Packet Boat with room for the whole family and all the comforts of home.
But if the canal gets relinked I could park at Maymount Park bring food for the animals to keep quite about parking their and then walk to the event along the canal.
Yeah, that would be nice if they linked Maymont with Tredegar. Do you think that will happen? That would be nice, but it is STILL a long walk with a lawn chair and cooler…….
Unfortunately the portion of the canal you are referring to is owned by new market, not the city.
It’s hard to understand $30 Million for an open air venue with a stage. It’s not the developers first foray into something like this so I have to assume they know how much it will cost but it’s amazing the cost of building things now.
Audio equipment/visual/lighting made for outdoor- only venues costs a lot more than equipment that can be used in indoor-only spaces.
Would that size ampitheatre really attract big acts though?
Richmond Folk Festival 230,000 over 3 days.
Let’s keep this in mind…. The Richmond Flying Squirrels average about 6,400 fans per game. This venue will have a capacity of 7,500. Has a traffic study been performed to determine how ticket holders will be able to navigate the area before and after performances?
Although that’s an interesting question, Brian, I think that Capshaw has a pretty good idea of where the music fans will be coming from and how they’ll access the venue. Those traffic studies are more relevant to suburban venues that do not benefit from foot traffic and mass transit opportunities, nor are they built within grid structures. Roughly 70% of the Squirrels attendees are families from the suburbs, requiring access to the interstates. That percentage will likely be reversed for this venue with the majority being young City residents. They’ll get there and they’ll get home. You and I are… Read more »
Hey now “old” Bruce – speak for yourself! ha! I love outdoor concerts, and attend probably 10 or more throughout the spring to summer. and yes— I DRIVE to Doswell, Brandy Hill, Short Pump, Maymont, Richmond Raceway, Dogwood Dell, Browns Island, Folk Festival, etc. – so yeah, as we age, it would be nice not to have to lug our lawn chair 2 miles……ha!
; ^))
Having grown up in Charlottesville, lived in RVA for 12 years, now in Nashville for the past 3 years, I really like seeing an additional Capshaw venue. What entertains me is though is how sensitive the parking topic in RVA became. My first question: did Uber/Lyft pull out of the market? Why not use that from a suburb or nearby parking facility and use that for the last(ish) portion? Secondly: why should hyper-convenient parking be a lynchpin requirement for an urban venue? C’ville’s parking is not that great at all. Nashville’s is non-existent for less than ~$75 and still requires… Read more »
during the Richmond Folk Festival there might be 80,000 people in the Brown’s Island/Tredegar area – there isn’t a rush or concern to provide additional parking for that event, so a 7,500 person concert. If you want to have instant access call or email me and I’ll pick you up.