Former city manager pitches proposal for Diamond development

The Robert Bobb Group LLC in Washington, D.C., is one of a handful of development teams in the running to develop the area around The Diamond and the Arthur Ashe Center. Bobb’s team sent a proposal to Richmond officials dated Feb. 19 in response to a city-issued request for proposals to develop North Boulevard. Bobb’s group proposes tearing down The Diamond, which opened in 1985 with 12,000 seats, the Arthur Ashe Center next door and “all of the existing Public Works and Richmond Public Schools facilities,” according to documents obtained by Style.

The group would build in its place a multi-pronged sports and retail complex, called “The Arthur Ashe Learning and Sports Megaplex”…

… In addition to the sports facilities, Bobb’s group also proposes building a 200-bed hotel and retail shops totaling 373,700 square feet. In his proposal to the city, Bobb also claims to have a “letter of interest” from a big box retailer for a 200,000-square-foot store on the site.

In February, city officials identified The Diamond Development Group as one of six companies that expressed interest in the redevelopment project, but Bobb said yesterday that the group is known as The Boulevard Development Group.

The other companies are Colonial Properties Trust, Barry Real Estate, Timmons Group, Regency Centers and Douglas Development Corp.

Tim Davey, a principal with Timmons Group, said the engineering firm is not vying to be a developer for the project but that it does have a relationship with some of those who are pursuing it.

City officials said all six companies have been deemed qualified and that they would soon be invited to submit detailed proposals.

Bobb said his group has ideas of how the North Boulevard area could be redeveloped but acknowledged that city officials could present a vision of their own.