When baseball returned to Richmond for its latest go-round in April 2010, there was no other place I wanted to be.
After spending quite a few days during the summer of ’09 at Camden Yards, I was ready for baseball in the River City again. New stadium or not, all was right again in the city.
Or was it?
Four years and a dozen-plus visits to The Diamond later, I know a new stadium would make the experience better. With concrete crumbling overhead, a workout as soon as you enter the stadium and cramped quarters for concessions and the teams, there is no doubt a new stadium would be a welcome addition.
A new stadium, however, should not be the highest or only priority for the region. But it will be a litmus test for the environment of cooperation.
Far greater needs exist than seating 434,769 fans at a baseball game. There are a great many residents of our region not accounted for in this figure.
How can we truly increase the quality of life in the city? Baseball is nice, but there is more to life. Transportation, for starters, would be a good place to start.
Every resident should have equal access to transportation. Rides to work, rides to educational opportunities, rides to the grocery store.
Our City is largely inaccessible right now without a car, and a baseball stadium will not fix this problem.
I am not saying the new baseball stadium should be delayed. Our region is large enough work on multiple projects at one time.
Learn more about RVA Rapid Transit on their Facebook page.
