Virginia Commonwealth University has scaled back its plans to construct the VCU Athletic Village, which was meant to serve as the home for soccer, tennis and other sports.
According to Commonwealth Times, the original plan called for an off-campus, 42-acre facility in Richmond’s Diamond District with an outdoor track and field, an indoor fieldhouse, a tennis center and a soccer stadium. VCU originally said the construction would be completed in the spring of 2026, and the athletics department was working with HKS Architects & Designers on the project. When the project was approved, it was estimated to cost VCU $38 million.
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However, on Sept. 11, the VCU board of visitors presented a revised plan with an adjusted scope due to rising construction costs and a stalled deal to sell the Sports Backers Stadium — the former home of VCU soccer and track and field — to the city. That deal was meant to give VCU an additional $25 million.
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The revised plan includes reducing the seating capacity and the scale of the stadium. Now, the facility will cover 6,000 square feet and seat roughly 1,000 spectators.
Said Meredith Weiss, chief financial officer, “The board initially approved in December 2024 the project plans, since then we’ve had escalating costs, I don’t think that’s a surprise to anyone.”
