Richmond city officials presenting plans for the construction of a $10M Redskins training camp facility "faced an at-times contentious crowd Thursday night at the Science Museum of Virginia during the first public meeting on the project," according to Robert Zullo of the RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH. A crowd "of about 50 grilled city officials on the project's financing, its economic impact, traffic and noise, the site selection process, a perceived lack of transparency and the merits of essentially transferring a valuable piece of city property to Bon Secours Virginia Health System, the chief sponsor of the training camp, as part of the arrangement." The Redskins have "committed to hold their three-week training camp in Richmond for at least eight years starting next summer as part of an economic incentive deal signed with the state in June." Richmond Finance Dept. Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Sharon Judkins said that the "total cost of building and maintaining the camp over 10 years is estimated at $13.7 million." Zullo notes the facility is projected to "draw 100,000 people a year to Richmond." More specific pieces of legislation "to put the deal in motion will be coming in the next month" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 11/9).
