Thank you for the thoughtful article on the unanswered questions surrounding the debate over whether to build a baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom. However I think your article missed one big question: Does this project help build the kind of city we want to live in?

Instead of just thinking about parking lots, interstate traffic backup and “development,” I want to know the impact this project would have on the goal to create a more livable, inclusive city. Why is consideration for bike and pedestrian traffic, open green space, tourism and local business development not central to this conversation?

With its important historical legacy, beautiful architecture, train station and proximity to the river and the Virginia Capital Trail, Shockoe Bottom has the potential to be a renowned tourist destination and a new model for smart urban living. Building chain restaurants and parking lots was the failed “development” goal of the ’80s. Richmond deserves better.

Leah Page
Richmond