BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS

Link: Richmond Times-Dispatch

Thank you, Mark Holmberg, for stating the obvious. Particularly because no one else seems to be doing it.

The obvious has much to do with economic development in Richmond, Virginia, and something to do with America's strange obsession with minor league sports stadiums. For much of the past year, Richmonders have been grappling with the idea of relocating the stadium for the minor league Braves (farm team for Atlanta) from its current site on a commercially staid stretch of North Boulevard to a commercially struggling Shockoe Bottom. Out-of-town developers promise millions in new revenue from a new facility, while the public and honest politicians struggle with questions of value and sense.

Times-Dispatch columnist Mark Holmberg calls a duck a duck.

Meanwhile, no one seems the least bit concerned about what a Braves defection would mean to North Boulevard, considered by some to be the Rodney Dangerfield of Richmond avenues.

"City Hall, up until the new mayor, was absolutely adversarial" to Boulevard growth and zoning issues, says Buz Grossberg, owner of the award-winning Buz and Ned's Real BBQ at 1119 N. Boulevard.

Other than the removal of the Boulevard's distinctive middle-of-the-road parking strip, time has brought few changes to this key entrance to the city. Homeless people still walk the sidewalks. Some still sleep under the railway overpass next to the bus station.

Until recently, it looked pretty much the same as it did when I worked on the brick crews that built the Arthur Ashe Center next to The Diamond and the Greyhound bus station across the street -- 20 years ago.

Which begs the question: If Richmond's baseball stadium is such an economic driver, why hasn't it worked on North Boulevard?

Comments

[John]

Funny thing, that. If you're coming from the north, going to the downtown station adds a half hour to your trip. I imagine it's more friendly to people traveling from the uber-destinations of Norfolk and Williamsburg. As for the bus station being an economic driver, a picture is worth a thousand words. Richmond is Greyhound's 6th busiest station, and one of the most run-down I've seen. It's not done a heckuva a lot to bolster the Boulevard either.

[g]

There's a train station downtown?

[scottb]

I think another interesting question is whether or not the bus station is an economic driver. If it is, then that supports the idea of moving it next to Main Street Station as intermodal transportation.