RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The President of the Richmond Flying Squirrels is warning that the city could lose its baseball team if a new stadium isn’t built soon.

Lou DiBella, the president of the team, said he’s concerned with progress on a new ballpark in the Diamond District.

He also warned that there may not be an Opening Day in 2026 for the Flying Squirrels if a ballpark isn’t built that meets Major League Baseball’s guidelines.

“Sadly, with imminent deadlines looming, we cannot be confident that the future of the Squirrels in Richmond is secure,” DiBella said in a statement.

Major League Baseball took ownership of some minor league teams in 2020.

Since then, the Flying Squirrels has been under a deadline to meet the league’s facility standards by 2025.

In September 2022, Richmond City leaders selected RVA Diamond Partners as its development team.

At the time, the city said they would start the design phase of the ballpark “as soon as possible” as part of its $2.4 billion project to transform the Diamond District.

But seven months after the announcement, DiBella said he’s still uncertain about the progress of the ballpark’s development.

“Since the Diamond District development was announced, there has been very little progress on plans for a new stadium. Much needs to get done, but we are running out of time to meet the requirements of Major League Baseball,” he said. “The next three or four weeks will be critical with respect to moving forward in the hometown that we love.”

Under the Diamond District proposal, the Diamond itself would be demolished and replaced with a new “multi-purpose stadium.” The Diamond was originally built in 1985 and cost $8 million. It received a $1.5 million upgrade after the Richmond Braves left in 2008.

City leaders said in a statement Wednesday: “The city of Richmond is committed to completing this important, intentional project. While there is still some work to be done, RVA Diamond Partners and the city have been working tirelessly together.”

RVA Diamond partners said in a statement that they are working on finalizing project details:

“RVA Diamond Partners (RVADP) continues to work with City leadership and staff to finalize the legal, financial, and programmatic details required to bring this bold and ambitious project to fruition. This work includes detailed programmatic and design discussions with both the Flying Squirrels and VCU for the new ballpark that will anchor the Diamond District.

“Our team meets regularly with the Squirrels, VCU, the City, and our design and construction partners to ensure that we have a plan for a financeable ballpark that not only meets the needs of the teams and MiLB but delivers a fantastic fan experience through thoughtful integration with the public spaces, retail, residential, commercial, and hospitality uses planned for the broader Diamond District.

“RVADP has committed itself to this project since the award in September, and we continue to work towards a groundbreaking as soon as possible.”