RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Plans for a new concert venue in Richmond — five years in the making — are moving forward. The new 7,500-capacity amphitheater would sit beside the James River in downtown Richmond along the Tredegar hillside.
Richmond locals like Jarrell Ivey feel this will help expand the music scene in the city.
“It gives more opportunities for up-and-coming young artists to open up in the city,” Ivey said. “A larger venue probably means larger artists coming through.”
Ivey feels the venue could also be a boost of positivity for the community.
“There’s a lot of beautiful history here and there’s also a lot of not-so-beautiful history but we have a chance to implement and grow on the beautiful,” Ivey said.
He’s not alone in that thought. Maliqua White, a Richmond resident, is passionate about her family and peaceful energy. White said the introduction of such a large-scale, positive feature could have a number of benefits to the overall community.
“I feel like Richmond really needs some extra oomph to it considering a lot of the crime rate that’s going on here in the city,” White said. “We need some extracurricular activities that are positive to bring here to the city.”
The amphitheater is being funded by Red Light Ventures — an agency owned by Coran Capshaw. Capshaw is a well-known figure in the entertainment industry and helped develop projects like Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall Pavilion. White said she hopes the new amphitheater could bring economic opportunity to the city of Richmond as well.
Developers hope to see the project finished by May 2024.
