I don't normally read the newspaper. But I got one free today and skimmed the headlines. On the front page was an article about building a new stadium for the Richmond Braves, the hometown baseball team. The Braves are the AAA farm club team for the Atlanta Braves. As a club, it is losing more than a million dollars per year. Attendance has been down in recent years, and the Braves are struggling. The team claims it needs a new stadium to boost revenue. It needs luxury boxes and a new location.
The city of Richmond does not want to lose the Braves. The city council wants to boost tourism and consumer spending in the city. Some claim that a new stadium near the trendy area of downtown would help generate economic expansion for the area. They point to other rebuilding projects in cities with minor league times.
But I don't think that spending millions of tax payer dollars on a new stadium will help the economy of the city or the local government. People don't really come to the city to watch Braves games. Sure, a few more might come if the location was nicer. True, the current facility is located in a run down part of town. But Richmond has never been a big sports town.
To keep the Braves in the Richmond area, I think the team should be encouraged to move to the West End or Southside of the city. The suburbs will be a good home for the Braves as a club. That's where the most people are. That's where the major little league programs are. It makes sense.
And if the city wants real economic renewal, it should focus on getting people to move back into the city not just come there on weekends. There are many areas of the city that are full of rundown buildings and vacant warehouses. With grants and special assistance from the city, these areas could be turned into low to medium income housing for young couples. Many 30 something adults are having a hard time affording homes or even townhouses in the burbs these days. The Richmond real estate market is nuts.
If low cost, reasonably nice and safe housing could be offered to these couples, many of them might move back to the city. That would help build a tax base of growth oriented citizens. The money spent on a stadium would best be built on helping people find solutions to the housing crunch.
While I like the Braves being downtown, in the long run, I think it makes more sense to rebuild the community first.
