Former Richmond City Manager Robert C. Bobb confirmed yesterday that he's vying to redevelop the North Boulevard area with a new ballpark to replace The Diamond and other uses.

Bobb would not discuss details but said he's part of a group that responded to the city's invitation in January for developers to submit qualifications.

In the process, the city outlined a vision for revamping the area as a gateway to Interstate 95 with a new 8,000-seat ballpark along the highway to replace The Diamond and a demolished Arthur Ashe Center. The city set May 1 as a deadline for choosing a developer.

"This is the beginning of a long process," Bobb said. "We just hope we're invited to participate in the next round."

Bobb is president of the Washington, D.C., Board of Education and president and chief executive officer of the Robert Bobb Group. He served as city manager of Richmond from 1986 to 1997, when he resigned to become city manager of Oakland, Calif.

His proposal for the North Boulevard area calls for a sports and retail complex that would accommodate minor-league baseball, college tennis and basketball, plus other sports and activities, Style Weekly reported this week. Bobb would not comment on the details reported, including the possibility of a hotel and retail space.

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.

"Right now, we don't know what the city's desires are," he said.
Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or wjones@timesdispatch.com.