Baseball and soccer fields proposed at Lois Harrison-Jones Elementary after tennis facility falls through
Nearly a year after a proposal to build a $15-$20 million indoor tennis facility behind Lois Harrison-Jones Elementary died from a lack of community support, a different group is now stepping in to propose building a soccer field and baseball field in what would’ve been the facility’s place.
Richmond Little League, a local nonprofit organization offering baseball and softball to boys and girls, pitched the idea to the Richmond School Board’s Facilities and Vacant Property Committee this month. The League would fully pay for the fields’ design and construction.
“We know that other parties have looked at different uses of this area over the last 12 or 18 months, and we have a fairly good relationship with the school,” Richmond Little League President Bobby Prout said to the committee.
The project would also create a smaller “open field space” that can be used for different purposes.
“The lightning rod that struck” the idea came from the fallout of the tennis facility, proposed by Second Serve RVA. Irv Cantor, president of the Richmond Tennis Association, presented the tennis facility to the Board last July, a project that had been in the works for two years before that. School Board members were hesitant with the idea and ultimately signified that they were leaning towards no. LHJ parents reiterated that message in town hall meetings held between the organization’s leaders and community members.
Victoria A. Ifatusin
On and around the school, including at Byrd Park, are already four baseball diamonds that the League uses and maintains, making this proposed baseball field a fifth within the vicinity. Board member Emmett Jafari (8th District) called it “a saturation of ball fields.”
Proutt said places outside of the city like in Chesterfield and Henrico counties have even more baseball diamonds near each other. He added that Richmond does not have many spaces capable of doing that.
The program has roughly 700 children enrolled, which is the maximum the league can support at the current fields.
School Principal Nicholas Lereche told the committee that he does not “need five baseball fields,” but students do want a soccer field and team, which the proposal would provide. Community members have not yet provided formal input on the proposal, but school parents have long vocalized wanting the soccer field.
“But what I think is worth considering is that (the) immediate benefit to the students at LHJ is they would have a place to play soccer,” he said.
The location where the fields would be placed is otherwise known to local residents as Rueger Playground or Rueger Field, which is on school grounds. The park has attracted cookouts and barbecues over the summer, Lereche said, which could be a risk to the nearby school.
In the middle of the park is also a large vacated concession stand building that is in “a very sad state of repair,” Lereche said. He added that homeless people have been in the building and he has had to chase them away from it. Staff have also reported break-ins to their vehicles during the school day, he added.
The project would thus help “rebrand that space,” and eliminate the building that he and Board Member Matthew Percival (1st District) said parents have asked for the removal of.
It would be “a huge benefit to the RPS, to the community and to our school,” Lereche said.
Committee Chair Stephanie Rizzi (5th District) raised concerns about inclusivity within the program, citing past personal experiences of her and her sons not feeling welcomed into the baseball diamonds at Byrd Park. She added that she didn’t have the money to sign up her children for the program. Proutt estimated that the program runs from $100 to $180 for a student per spring season, adding that it is cheaper in the fall season.
“I need to make sure that our kids are going to be welcome, if we're giving this land to you for free and you're running these programs, that our kids are engaged and involved,” she said.
“I'm sorry to hear that negative experience, but we will never turn away a child who wants to play baseball,” Proutt responded.
Rizzi requested data on the number of RPS students enrolled into the program. Proutt said the application doesn’t ask parents for school information, just home addresses, meaning it’ll be difficult to produce the number.
The League now has the task of gathering parents and community member input on the proposal. The committee plans to meet again next month to discuss whether or not they will elevate the idea to the full board.
Contact Reporter Victoria A. Ifatusin at vifatusin@richmonder.org
