Flying Squirrels owners blame VCU for stalled CarMax Park lease talks

The Richmond Flying Squirrels’ ownership group, Navigators Baseball, is engaged in an active lawsuit against the City of Richmond and the Richmond Economic Development Authority (EDA) over stalled development and lease issues related to CarMax Park and the Diamond District, Richmond BizSense reported.

The lawsuit claims the city and EDA have not fulfilled promises for the mixed-use Diamond District development, with CarMax Park remaining the only completed project years after a developer was selected. Navigators allege that the project team and timeline have changed significantly since the district was first announced.

The city and EDA counter that Navigators have contributed to the delays due to extended negotiations with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) concerning the use of CarMax Park by VCU’s baseball team. The agreement between VCU and the Navigators is tied to the Squirrels’ lease of the ballpark and has yet to be finalized.

In late September, the EDA issued a notice warning Navigators of a potential lease default if they did not resume negotiations with VCU within 30 days, as the lease requires good faith negotiations. Navigators responded by pushing back against the default notice and attributing some of the blame for the stalled talks to VCU.

The legal dispute continues in Richmond Circuit Court, with subpoenas served on city and EDA officials in recent weeks. The outcome will likely impact the future of CarMax Park’s use and the broader Diamond District development.