Style Weekly sits down with Flying Squirrels president Lou DiBella

DiBella addresses his concerns with The Diamond and his frustrations with the City of Richmond.

June 11, 2015; 9:25 AM • by Trevor Dickerson

Flying Squirrels owner and president Lou DiBella is passionate about keeping the minor-league team in Richmond. But he made a splash June 3 with an open letter to the Richmond community about his frustration with the lack of progress replacing the antiquated Diamond. The chief executive of New York-based DiBella Entertainment, which promotes professional boxing matches and other events, speaks with Style by phone:

Style: If you were to leave, where would you go? DiBella: Let me just stop you right there. I haven’t had one conversation about any place or venue. I have nowhere to go. I’m not threatening anything. People don’t seem to be paying attention now. Even to my letter even in The Richmond Times-Dispatch. Look at the side article from Pat O’Connor of Minor League Baseball and Joe McEacharn of the Eastern League. It’s not three weeks from now or next season. It’s not going to be my option to stay in this obsolete, substandard facility. Eventually, It’s not going to be my option. What’s so hard about that for people to accept?

While the Squirrels’ boss is not threatening to leave the city (in fact he goes so far as to say finding a new city would be a long, tough process), he’s clearly frustrated with the lack of action and commitments from Richmond officials.