Diamond debate not leaving with the Braves
So the Braves are leaving. Does that solve our civic dilemma about what to do with the Diamond? Unfortunately, no.
According to the TD, there will be A & AA teams beating down our door to move here.
Which means: expect to here more from Pantele, Wilder, and the blogosphere about when, where, how, and why we should (or should not) be building a new baseball stadium.
And for a moment there, I was excited that Richmond could move on to discussing more important things- like affordable housing, transit, education, health care, protecting the environment, regionalism, building parks, rebuilding neighborhoods, supporting local artists….
January 15, 2008 at 5:31 pm
I couldn’t have said it better! If as much public outcry and discourse were raised over other issues, we may well have never been faced with the loss of a baseball team. I love baseball and have supported the Braves for many years but when all is said and done, it should be the least of our concern at this juncture in Richmond’s developmental journey. It’s not like we all didn’t see this coming two years ago.
January 15, 2008 at 10:22 pm
It is as if we saw it coming, but that doesn’t make it any better. Any WHY should it be the least of our concerns. YES, we have poverty, crime, bad schools so let’s NOT discuss ANYTHING else?
Maybe, just maybe, this is important.
Maybe, this is an opportunity to get it right. Too bad if this is not the discussion you want to see. I may be the discussion we need to have.
Not all problems are solved directly. Some are improved indirectly, like uniting the metro area, bringing people back downtown, improviing the quality of life and increasing the tax base. Making people care about Richmond again matters.
January 15, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Paul Hammond, folks…he’s here all night…
“Too bad if this is not the discussion you want to see. I may be the discussion we need to have.”
(Just kidding, Paul, I make typos too.)
Seriously though, the discussion needs to be about priorities. What’s more important to Richmond’s future, a baseball stadium or decent school buildings? Rank the punch list.
And don’t tell me we can do it all because based on the last twenty years or so, its obvious we cannot. The City of the Future is not here yet.
January 16, 2008 at 9:46 am
I agree with Scott- it’s about priorities.
Paul- if you’ve been reading my blog you know that I want to reinvigorate the life of downtown and the city generally. I’m not at all against having discussions of “big-ticket” development items which will draw folks downtown. But the amount of time and money spent on baseball stadium plans has been ridiculous.
Besides, if you look at my list, of conversations I want to have, I think solving those issues would also bring people back to the city (try better transit, building affordable housing, parks, schools, arts…
So I’m not sure what gives you the impression that the conversations I want to have won’t have the same impact as a conversation about spending millions on a baseball stadium.
January 16, 2008 at 10:14 am
Thanks for this post. I’m glad to see the likes of you and Sarvay pointing out that there are more important issues in the city than a erratically-attended minor league ball team.
January 16, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Yes, the RBraves leavinng and getting another team and/or a new stadium in Richmond isn’t the most important issue facing our fair city at the moment, but it IS symptomatic of a larger problem regarding lack of vision and forethought that you have lamented in the past.
I want to see Richmond improved and agree that schools and transit and affordable housing, but having the arts and sports are good things to have as well when one is trying to revitalize and reinvigorate.
Let’s hope that lessons have been learned and that the city (and region) can find ways to move forward together on ALL of these issues!
Here’s a link to a good, thoughtful blog piece on the RBraves from “River City Rapids”, if you’re interested:
http://rivercityrapids.blogspot.com/2008/01/most-un-richmond-of-games.html