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sports tourism

Sep 4, 2024

Richmond Flying Squirrels’ new stadium will be CarMax Park

With confetti flying and a DJ playing walk-up music for Richmond’s mayor and other luminaries, the Richmond Flying Squirrels announced Wednesday that Fortune 500 company CarMax will be naming sponsor for the Squirrels’ new ballpark starting with the 2026 season. The replacement for the Richmond Diamond will be known as CarMax Park, officials with the […]

Dec 31, 2023

Wizards, Capitals plan Alexandria move in $2B deal

The Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards are planning a move to a new home in Alexandria in a $2 billion deal that would see the professional sports franchises exit Washington, D.C., by 2028, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Dec. 13, 2023. The nonbinding agreement to build a new arena for the Capitals and Wizards is […]

Dec 13, 2023

Wizards, Capitals plan move to Alexandria in $2B deal

The Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards are planning a move across the Potomac River to a new home in Alexandria in a $2 billion deal that would see the professional sports franchises exit Washington, D.C., by 2028, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced early Wednesday. The nonbinding agreement to build a new arena for the Capitals […]

The Richmond Flying Squirrels and mascot Nutzy may be getting a replacement baseball stadium for the spring 2026 season. Photo courtesy Richmond Flying Squirrels
May 30, 2023

Richmond City Council approves Diamond District

Richmond City Council voted unanimously May 8 to approve the $2.44 billion Diamond District project, which includes a replacement for the aging stadium that’s home to the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball team. The Diamond District‘s first phase, expected to cost $627.6 million, includes a 9,000-capacity, $90 million-plus baseball stadium and a hotel with at […]

May 1, 2023

Richmond baseball stadium deadlines made public

Updated May 1, 6 p.m. According to a now-public development agreement, design work for Richmond‘s new baseball stadium would begin this month and construction would start in August 2024 and finish by December 2025, if all goes to plan. The agreement also requires that the Richmond Flying Squirrels sign a stadium lease by July 1 […]

Apr 25, 2023

Richmond baseball stadium agreement reached — with year delay

The city of Richmond has reached an agreement with developers RVA Diamond Partners on the $2.44 billion Diamond District development and a new baseball stadium expected to open in spring 2026 — a year later than Major League Baseball’s April 2025 deadline. Now it’s up to MLB to decide whether to grant the city an […]

J.C. Poma. Photo by RRT Portraits
Apr 17, 2023

Chesterfield hires first sports/visitation/entertainment exec

Chesterfield County has hired J.C. Poma as its first executive director of sports, visitation and entertainment, with a focus on growing sports tourism, the county announced Friday. Currently the vice president of community relations for regional marketing organization Richmond Region Tourism, Poma will start his new position with Chesterfield on May 1. “While the county […]

Area tourism needs to be expanded beyond just Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens, which is leading to development of a regional sports complex, says Williamsburg Mayor Doug Pons. Photo by Mark Rhodes
Mar 30, 2023

Shoring up

Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown are all significant parts of the nation’s foundation, and historic tourism drove the region’s economy during the 20th century. But Colonial Williamsburg hasn’t been enough to keep big crowds coming to the area consistently in the 21st century, even before the pandemic. Visitation dropped from 960,000 in 1999 to 534,000 in […]

The Lake, a 13-acre artificial pond proposed to be built in Chesterfield County, has been in the works for more than seven years. Rendering courtesy Flatwater Ventures LLC
Sep 29, 2022

Surf’s up for Chesterfield’s The Lake

It took a lot to make The Lake happen. Developer Brett Burkhart had to nail down $323 million in financing, obtain a slew of permits and get Chesterfield County to offer performance grants or tax rebates. That took seven years, but he finally got it done, and clearing is underway on the 105-acre site on […]

Mar 23, 2022

RIR president to head Henrico sports/entertainment authority

Henrico County officials on Wednesday named longtime Richmond Raceway President Dennis Bickmeier to lead its new sports and entertainment authority. Bickmeier’s last day with the raceway, where he has led for more than a decade, is April 15. He will begin working in his new role on April 18. “With Dennis Bickmeier serving as our executive […]

Mar 10, 2022

$42M tennis campus planned for Loudoun County

Loudoun County will soon be a new hub for American tennis. The United States Tennis Association Mid-Atlantic Section (USTA MAS) announced plans Thursday to build a 36-court, $42 million tennis campus in Loudoun County. And when the campus is complete in 2025, the nonprofit tennis organization, which is currently based in Herndon, will house its […]

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