Shockoe Stadium: Mayor’s Proposal Before Council on Monday Puts Cart Before the Horse

We are concerned that significant information has still not been provided to the public and City Council sufficient to make the best decision for the city. Moreover, we worry that the new proposed paper before the Council to authorize the Mayor and his staff to negotiate what we believe will be a firm and final deal with the private landowners, developers and the baseball team, puts the cart before the horse.  The Council and the public need much more information on the historical assets at risk in Shockoe Bottom, whether the Bottom is the right location for the stadium, what other economic development approaches are available, and whether we have adequately evaluated traffic, urban design and other issues.  Therefore, we recommend that the Council not authorize the Mayor and staff to proceed with negotiations until the city completes a more thorough comparative up-front planning analysis. Link