Bring Hockey Back to Richmond

It serves its purpose. It's great for big invitational track meets, college soccer, etc.

It's crazy though that Raleigh, OKC, Memphis, Columbus and others can lure big league teams and Richmond can't even come up with something suitable for the Eastern League, the ECHL or arena football. Durham and Norfolk and Scranton and Allentown can all build nice AAA parks. Des Moines, Wichita, Tulsa can build arenas capable of hosting hockey, major college basketball tournaments or big non-conference games for the state schools. Hell, Omaha has built two ballparks and a world class arena.

 

That's a great point regarding independent cities. It's not just the difficulty of getting other entities to contribute tax money, but it's also a fight over where to put the thing.

 

If Richmond built a decent municipal arena, it wouldn't land them an NBA/NHL team, but it'd get a far better class of event and give VCU and UR an option to draw big-name opponents that won't play in their on-campus gyms. Ditto Norfolk/Va. Beach and ODU, though they probably would eventually get a big league team.

 

I'd love to see Richmond with an arena that could host AHL, occasional VCU/UR/UVa/VT non-conference games, premier concerts and something good enough to at least put in a bid for the ACC Tournament.


Of note, Fredericksburg is building a 5,000-seat ballpark for a Sally League team.

 

Without the new stadium, there is no reason for anyone to build any kind of restaurant, bar, etc., in that area. A new stadium with a long lease would at least create some stability. Who would invest in that area if they thought the stadium was about to be abandoned, eliminating your customer base?

We always got a laugh about a "Varina on the Boulevard" sign that was opposite Parker Field. He said Varina, heh heh. Old Jeff Davis sure could pick 'em.

And all the examples on this thread of cities that did do something further illustrate what a bunch of slap-dicks run Richmond city government.

 

As Meat noted, there's a nice little restaurant district across the bridge. They even opened up a taco joint in the old porno store.

 

There's a place called Goochland?

That is awesome.

 

Verlander's hometown.

 

Goochland had the highest average income in the country not too long ago.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/goochland-residents-have-highest-average-income-in-u-s/article_c9de12ba-9155-5700-97db-88f49f03d319.html

 

Hold the sour cream.

 

The club on that block used to specialize in...ummmm...sausages, not tacos.

 

Is Goochland near Taintville?