What to know about the VCU–Flying Squirrels fight over CarMax Park
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A rendering of the Diamond District with CarMax Park. Image: Courtesy of the city of Richmond
VCU and the Flying Squirrels have hit an impasse in the negotiations over whether VCU's baseball team will play at CarMax Park.
Why it matters: The breakdown could threaten a land deal crucial to the Diamond District development project — and ultimately leave Richmond taxpayers on the hook if there's no resolution.
The latest: Ben Sosenko, a spokesperson for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, announced Friday that the team "ended discussions" with VCU and that the school's baseball team wouldn't play at CarMax Park this season, the Times-Dispatch reported.
- That was despite an agreement reached in the fall in which VCU agreed to pay the city and the Squirrels a combined $710,000 a year to use the field.
- VCU Athletics spokesperson Julia Gardiner confirms to Axios that the school's team will play its 2026 season at The Diamond.
The turn of events calls into question the status of Sports Backers Stadium, which sits adjacent to CarMax Park.
- VCU had said it would sell the Sports Backers land to the city for $25 million, BizSense reported, for use as part of the Diamond District development.
Threat level: Tax revenue from the Diamond District development is supposed to repay the bonds the city used to finance CarMax Park.
- Plus, the city had planned to use lease payments from VCU to pay off its infrastructure bonds on Phase 1 of the development, BizSense reported.
Between the lines: It's unclear what led to the impasse between VCU and the Squirrels, and Sosenko declined to elaborate, but the deal terms that the two parties and the city announced last fall were not finalized by year-end.
What they're saying: Mayor Avula and VCU President Michael Rao issued statements over the weekend saying they were committed to working together to get the deal done.
Catch up quick: The Diamond District and CarMax Park are the culmination of a yearslong effort by City Hall to build a new baseball stadium and redevelop the more than 60 acres of prime real estate around it.
- The largest development deal in the city's history has been in the works since 2021 and over the next 15 years it's expected to bring over 1,000 apartments and condos, a 180-room hotel, parking and tons of retail space to Arthur Ashe Boulevard.
What's next: CarMax Park is expected to open on April 7.