Richmond hits stadium fund-raising target

[Spider1976]

Richmond has raised more than $20 million and can now go ahead with plans for an on-campus stadium. :hurray:

url]www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArti cle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149192243595&path=%21sports&s=1045855934844[/url]

[lizrdgizrd]

Richmond has raised more than $20 million and can now go ahead with plans for an on-campus stadium. :hurray:

url]www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArti cle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149192243595&path=%21sports&s=1045855934844[/url]
Good deal! Got a link to plans?

[Sir William]

Congrats! How big a stadium are the higher-ups proposing to build?

[GannonFan]

It's on the small side - 9,000 I believe, but it will be on campus. The only thing is, though, they've announced that it will cost more than the original $20M, and there is no timeline to start the stadium - they could be years away from groundbreaking based on the comments in the article and also knowing Richmond fans' views of the Richmond city government.

[potus#4]

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArti cle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149192243595&path=%21sports&s=1045855934844

Hey, no fair moving the target after you hit it. I predict many "community meetings" full of "concerned" well-to-do citizens before this project ever breaks ground.

[Sir William]

[QUOTE=GannonFan]It's on the small side - 9,000

Why so small? I would think for a school like Richmond, nothing less than 15,000 would do. I figure they have the fan base. Am I wrong? :confused:

[bostonspider]

Well the fan base is aging, and not really being replaced as most current students are from out of state / city, and are not staying in Richmond after graduation in nearly the same percentage as they used to. There is also a major neighborhood issue with building a stadium. So UR is officially building a stadium no larger than our current 9,000 seat basketball arena. But the most recent design that I have seen for the stadium includes a large tiered grass seating area behind one endzone, probably able to hold another 3-4 thousand people. So for now this is probably large enough, but if UR stays pretty good and there are no major issues with the neighbors, they might have to expand it as the years go by...

[Sir William]

Well the fan base is aging, and not really being replaced as most current students are from out of state / city, and are not staying in Richmond after graduation in nearly the same percentage as they used to. There is also a major neighborhood issue with building a stadium. So UR is officially building a stadium no larger than our current 9,000 seat basketball arena. But the most recent design that I have seen for the stadium includes a large tiered grass seating area behind one endzone, probably able to hold another 3-4 thousand people. So for now this is probably large enough, but if UR stays pretty good and there are no major issues with the neighbors, they might have to expand it as the years go by...

Interesting.

I wonder, though, will building a "down-sized" stadium help UR in the recruiting game against rivals like JMU and W&M, and not to mention ODU? I'm not from VA, but it seems to me that an established program doesn't have to overbuild, but should at least "linearally(?)" build.

Anyway, love UR's helmets!

[Spider1976]

Of course Three Chopt Nation will protest a little. They likewise forget that the university has been there for nearly 100 years, long before the West End neighborhood was established, and that UR is a major reason the neighborhood is so attractive.

Many of the neighbors who bitch about the university also love to run through it, use the track, walk their dogs through it, attend the nearby cultural events, and love it in the summer or over Christmas break when the place is virtually empty and they've got a 315-acre park right next door.

But it will get resolved, the stadium will be built with about 9,000 seats and plenty of standing/sitting room for excess crowds when the Spiders do draw upwards of 9K.

UR has a small student body (2800) and for many alums who remember I-A football against West Virginia, VPI, North Carolina and the like, playing Maine isn't a major attraction and they no longer come to games when they can watch Tech or UVa on TV. William & Mary also has seen a decline in attendance for many of the same reasons, I think.

[bostonspider]

Interesting.

I wonder, though, will building a "down-sized" stadium help UR in the recruiting game against rivals like JMU and W&M, and not to mention ODU? I'm not from VA, but it seems to me that an established program doesn't have to overbuild, but should at least "linearally(?)" build.

Anyway, love UR's helmets!

Well the facts that UR Stadium, while large, is a dump and in a mediocre part of town, will help this to be a major upgrade, even if it is a more intimate stadium. The new stadium will be right on campus, with great amenities and will be strikingly attractive to meld with the beautiful Richmond Campus. This new stadium will allow alumni and guests to come and visit the university everytime they come to a game, which will definitely be a bonus. Just having the stadium steps from the dorms will help get even more students to walk on over, as UR stadium was a 15 minute drive away. So all in all we are pretty psyched to get this thing built even if it is smaller than the previous stadium.

[Sir William]

Well the facts that UR Stadium, while large, is a dump and in a mediocre part of town, will help this to be a major upgrade, even if it is a more intimate stadium. The new stadium will be right on campus, with great amenities and will be strikingly attractive to meld with the beautiful Richmond Campus. This new stadium will allow alumni and guests to come and visit the university everytime they come to a game, which will definitely be a bonus. Just having the stadium steps from the dorms will help get even more students to walk on over, as UR stadium was a 15 minute drive away. So all in all we are pretty psyched to get this thing built even if it is smaller than the previous stadium.

Yeah, I see your point. Was not aware the current stadium was so far away.

Paladin Stadium was built on campus at Furman fro the very same reason, and it has been a gem (although we are also overdue for some refurbishments and upgrades - in desperate need of a new fieldhouse and scoreboard).

We'll look forward to playing y'all one day in your new digs. xsmileyclapx

[th0m]

'grats to Richmond! I know for the JMU game you outdrew what would've been a sellout crowd at your new place, but I think most can agree that a new place on campus, with at least a grassy endzone with a bit of a buffer, is very nice. Is there any timeline for the groundbreaking? Also any naming rights for extremely large donations?

[DTSpider]

A few things that haven't already been mentioned as I understand it (others can fill in the gaps).

Since the dawn of time (well seemingly that long) the City of Richmond has owned a stadium built in 1929. UR has leased the facility from the City to play games there and it was used by some high schools and other for other events. In late 1960s UR was in a monetary crisis and seemingly destined to cease operations (at least as a private school). In the 11th hour, Mr. E Claiborne Robins donated $50 million which not only kept the school afloat, but gave UR a dream. At this time a new on-campus facility was proposed. I've heard it was to be 30,000+ seats. Unfortunately, the City of Richmond denied the construction permit and instead offered to rename City Stadium as UR Stadium. UR was given exclusive rights to the venue and leased the facility for $1/year. UR could make improvements (which they did) and was responsible for all the maintenance. The facility was enlarged up to the 24,000 it holds now and is capable of being expanded to 40,000. The lease at some point became a yearly lease. In the mid-1990s UR poured a ton of money into the surface and hosted the NCAA soccer championship there.

UR in 2000 entered into a tentative agreement with the City to purchase Bandy Field (the park next to campus) for $1 million. This area would have been left a park for at least 10 years and then would have been the home to a new football stadium. The deals was squashed at the last minute by the neighborhood.

In spring 2003 the City of Richmond informed UR that the City was considering not renewing the lease. UR was given the option to buy the stadium for $5 million or it would be sold to developers.

With this in mind, a new on-campus stadium was first approved by the Board in 2003 when the proposed cost was $11 million. In 2005 an anonymous donor pledged $5 million if the school would give $5 million and the alumni base could raise $10 million more by 12/31/06 to cover the then estimated cost of $20 million.

The comments about the neighbors has already been mentioned. UR is limited by the City of Richmond to less than the size of the Robins Center (roughly 9200 seats) or the new facility will not be approved. After that starting point, who knows what other crazy demands the City will have. The neighborhood around UR has a lot of big money people who have a lot of influence with the City. They are used to getting their cake & eating it too.

[JMU-MRD-DAD]

I read somewhere...maybe in the Richmond paper.....that the size of the stadium would make it a tougher ticket. An on campus stadium would be a plus for attendance.

I've been to the last two JMU-UR football games at City Stadium and the Dukes could fill half of a 9K seat stadium.....looking forward to the new stadium.

[Tubby Raymond]

Well the facts that UR Stadium, while large, is a dump and in a mediocre part of town

The stadium is in the midst of fairly nice middle class neighborhood with brick colonial housing. What's mediocre about it?