ECHL to Richmond

[Barclay Donaldson]

The Navy Hill project in Richmond had a quickly scheduled press conference (link: ) announcing their intention to bring in a ECHL team should the city approve their construction projects.

The new arena would have 17,500 seats and replace the nearly 50 year old Richmond Coliseum. The exact quote from the press conference was "The commissioner of the ECHL, an AA hockey league, dedicated to developing players for the National Hockey League... (unintelligible)... is going to express their desire to locate a team here at the new Navy Hill Arena should the city council greenlight the project." That can mean a few different things, but that's something that can be concentrated on when the city council actually approves the project, something they avoided doing for a decade.

However, if it is approved, Richmond has the potential to be a very good market. They've hosted the ECHL, UHL, and SPHL in the past. The ECHL Renegades averaged between 4,000 and 6,000 before tailing off and folding and the other two teams had successes, but ultimately ended in failure. Much blame from all three teams was pointed towards the poor conditions at the Richmond Coliseum. The ECHL is also no stranger to arenas that size. Orlando seats 17,300 and Tulsa seats 17,000 for hockey.

Click to read more...

 

[JMCx4]

I hope the project developers have a budget bucket for very large curtains to block off unnecessary seating sections.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

I hope the project developers have a budget bucket for very large curtains to block off unnecessary seating sections.

They'll have to. But hey, let's not have faith that they have a business plan to get 17,000 butts in seats each night (sarcasm filter).

I can see why they want it at that size, since they want to host bigger concerts and NCAA regional games. However, arenas of that size built with that business model in mind usually don't have a minor league hockey tenant, like the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Times Union Center in Albany, CHI Health Center in Omaha, and KFC Yum! Center in Louisville come to mind.

 

[royals119]

I went to a number of Renegades games, and they had a good atmosphere without curtaining anything. They did open the second level, but hardly anyone sat up there, so the lower level was generally fairly full. The arena was really worn down though, even in 2001-2003 when I was going there. I think they could do OK as long as the lease terms are reasonable. They certainly have the opportunity for "local" rivals and decent travel, with Norfolk, Greenville, Charleston, Gwinnett all being within a day trip, and Reading, Wheeling, and the Florida teams a reasonable overnight a few times a season. As always it will come down to committed local owners with a good marketing plan and capital to fund it.

 

[JMCx4]

Fred Festa participated in the Richmond news conference as "the potential owner." Some long-time minor pro hockey fans on this board may recognize that name.

 

[210]

Fred Festa participated in the Richmond news conference as "the potential owner." Some long-time minor pro hockey fans on this board may recognize that name.

Greenville?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

A couple of good news articles following the news statement:

Hockey team could come to proposed Navy Hill arena
Richmond Promised New Hockey Team If Coliseum Redevelopment Moves Forward
How Greenville’s hockey team ditched a failed identity and found its place in the community - GREENVILLE JOURNAL

 

[JMCx4]

Greenville?

 

[sabremike]

I don't know shit from apple butter when it comes to this situation but a friend who seriously follows minor league hockey texted me this:

Thoughts?

 

[Centrum Hockey]

 

[HRAds]

If Richmond can get their act together and replace the Coliseum an ECHL team could be big there. It would also go a long way to help things in Norfolk. When the OG ECHL Admirals were a thing that Hampton Roads/Richmond rivalry was nasty. Sellouts at Scope and at the nasty Richmond Coliseum were the norm. I just hope the current version of the Admirals can hang on long enough for this to happen. In a perfect world, Roanoke would move up to the ECHL as well if we are really going to have old home week.

 

[JMCx4]

Politicians don't usually take too kindly to 3rd parties pulling publicity stunts (i.e., press conferences) to force their hands on voting for municipal improvements. Hard for me to believe the current Nays on the Richmond City Council are gonna roll over without somebody paying the price for the end-around play.

 

[mk80]

Happy for the hockey fans in Richmond with this announcement. But there is a lot of hurdles remaining in the way of the arena project. But hopefully everything comes together and we'll see Richmond take the ice in the coming seasons.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Past The Presser: Interpreting the Timing of Richmond’s ‘Sudden ECHL Return’

As always, BLH puts out a good article.

It is looking like this was an attempt to use the development and the team as leverage against the city, which was already 5-4 against the project because of the price tag of $1 billion. The final vote is in February on the development project.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

City Council Halts Richmond Arena Development Project - Arena Digest

Aaaaand it's dead

 

[JMCx4]

City Council Halts Richmond Arena Development Project - Arena Digest

Aaaaand it's dead

Seemed like a good idea at the time ...

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Seemed like a good idea at the time ...

Are you saying that $1.5 billion is a large sum of money

 

[JMCx4]

Are you saying that $1.5 billion is a large sum of money

"A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money." -- Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen

 

[tarheelhockey]

That’s a shame. Richmond is a top-50 metro and seems underserved for sports. They are AA in baseball and soccer, and well supported in both. At one time they were a very solid ECHL market. They really should have a team to support.

 

[GindyDraws]

That’s a shame. Richmond is a top-50 metro and seems underserved for sports. They are AA in baseball and soccer, and well supported in both. At one time they were a very solid ECHL market. They really should have a team to support.

Yeah, but they're content letting their abandoned arena rot than do something about it.

Virginia has horribly outdated arenas.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Yeah, but they're content letting their abandoned arena rot than do something about it.

Virginia has horribly outdated arenas.

the Coliseum was scheduled for demolition ......there is no Richmond Coliseum aka the Freezer as it was known back in the day, that's why the proposals to land it where was rejected, or near the Raceway complex, JD, there are no events until Henrico County approves a new arena complex. it has not been used since February of 2019

Richmond Coliseum-Wikipedia

 

[HRAds]

Yeah, but they're content letting their abandoned arena rot than do something about it.

Virginia has horribly outdated arenas.

To be fair the Richmond Coliseum was a dump from the inception of the ECHL Renegades until they closed the place. I will agree with you about the state of our municipal arenas in Virginia. College arenas not so much. All of the newest, and very nice, arenas in the Commonwealth are on college campuses. Sadly, none of them have ice plants that I am aware of.

 

[Atlantian]

New arena proposal for the Richmond area. Could be another chance at an ECHL team.
BREAKING: Navy Hill developers now planning 17,000-seat arena, massive mixed-use project in Henrico | The Henrico Citizen

 

[JMCx4]

New arena proposal for the Richmond area. Could be another chance at an ECHL team.
BREAKING: Navy Hill developers now planning 17,000-seat arena, massive mixed-use project in Henrico | The Henrico Citizen

Another: "I'll believe it when I see it" moment. Maybe Richmond will begin the resurgence of a severely contracted ECHL, or maybe this will become the second Burning of Richmond.

 

[Atlantian]

Another: "I'll believe it when I see it" moment. Maybe Richmond will begin the resurgence of a severely contracted ECHL, or maybe this will become the second Burning of Richmond.

I do doubt it will happen, but I am always hopeful for a new team, especially in a market with a long history like Richmond. There are a lot of things that need to go right for this to happen, but we will just have to wait and see how it goes. There's no specific timetable for this that I saw skimming the article, but the key difference between this and the other failed project is that this one will be privately funded.