RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – July 29, 2026: The City of Richmond, the Richmond Economic Development Authority (EDA), Thalhimer Realty Partners (TRP), and Diamond District Partners, LLC (DDP) celebrated the groundbreaking of Dōma, the first privately-financed building at the Diamond District. Over 100 attendees celebrated the milestone along with Mayor Danny Avula, Katherine Jordan and Andrew Breton (Richmond City Council), Sharon Ebert (City’s Deputy Chief Administrative Officer), Angie Rogers (EDA Executive Director), and Jason Guillot and Maritza Pechin (TRP/DDP).

The groundbreaking follows the June 30th transfer of the Phase 1A-2 property from the EDA to DDP. The Phase 1A-2 property is the portion of the larger Sports Backers Stadium parcel that DDP needed to complete the construction of three new streets and the new public greenspace that will connect and anchor Phase 1A of the Diamond District.

Speaking on the process to select the development team, Katherine Jordan, 2nd District Council Member said, “We needed someone who has an anchor of a local presence. And Thalhimer was that local anchor. I have felt validated by that decision every step of the way because it is the local partners that stick through the hard times.”

Mayor Danny Avula shared remarks saying, “Today we’re breaking ground on the first of five buildings at the Diamond District.” He reflected on the history of the site as the City’s maintenance yard and the vision for the future, saying that the Diamond District “will be the kind of place that people want to live and work and spend time with. And that attracts more people to Richmond, as they come to catch a ballgame, as they come to work, and they say ‘man, this is the kind of place where I want to be.”

Sharon Ebert, the City’s Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Economic Development and Planning, reflected on Thalhimer Realty Partner’s past partnership with the EDA and Bon Secours to create Westhampton Commons in the West End, saying Westhampton Commons “is a vibrant part of that neighborhood. It exceeded the number of jobs they said they were going to create. It exceeded the capital investment that they said they were going to do. And it is doing quite well.”

Jason Guillot, Principal with Thalhimer Realty Partners and Managing Director of Diamond District Partners, described the features of Dōma which will welcome residents to a hub of well-being. The name Dōma is a play on the word “domicile” because Dōma will be refuge, a retreat from the hustle of life outside. The Class A apartment building at 2707 Diamond View Drive will feature:
• 276 market-rate spacious units ranging from 525 square feet to 1,400 square feet (unit mix is 49% 1-bedroom, 17% 1-bedroom+den, 32% 2-bedroom, and 2% studios)
• 4,000 square feet of commercial space
• A rooftop gym and lap pool, and multiple amenities to relax and rejuvenate
• A 453-space parking garage that will be shared by Dōma residents, and employees and visitors of the 2727 Diamond View Drive Office Building.

The total project budget is $80 million (excluding land) and the first units will deliver in the first quarter of 2028. Dōma’s design team, led by Baskervill, includes Kimley-Horn, Waterstreet Studio, EM Structural, and CMTA. The brand was developed by Campfire & Co. The project is financed by SouthState Bank with Atlantic Union Bank as a participant, and the general contractor is KBS. J&G Workforce Development Services provides workforce coordination services. Thalhimer Multifamily will lease and manage the property. Cushman Wakefield | Thalhimer is leasing the retail space.

Guillot also described the other new places that will begin to rise in the next 18 months at the Diamond District. An area that was once the City’s maintenance yards will soon be home to seven new places linked by four new streets to launch one new community. The first places at the Diamond District will create spaces for all Richmonders, old and new, to find their home base:
• Public Greenspaces – Over two acres of outdoor spaces include an informal event lawn, all-ages play space, a sculpture by Mickael Broth, and the Arthur Ashe Legacy Trail.
• Dōma – Developed by DDP, the first residential building at the Diamond District will feature 276 market-rate units, 4,000 square feet retail, and a 453-space garage (shared with the office building).
• Trophy Office – Anchored by Richmond law firm Hirschler, the 115,000 square feet office building developed by DDP will have 10,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor and a penthouse level with tenant amenities.
• Gateway Retail – Home to a new concept by EAT Restaurant Partners, the retail building developed by DDP will include space for four other dining, entertainment, and shopping attractions.
• Workforce Housing – Located next to the new greenspace, two buildings developed by Pennrose/Nix will provide 161-units for households earning 60% or below of the area median income and a 105-space parking lot.
• Hotel – A 180-room hotel developed by Kalyan Hospitality will offer views of Downtown, Scott’s Addition, and the baseball stadium at a prominent location at the intersection of Ashe Boulevard and Encore Avenue.
• CarMax Park – The new home of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the AA-affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, CarMax Park will attract people to year-round events.

Dōma Birdseye. Residents at Dōma have easy access to the greenspace along Diamond View Drive and the mews (linear park) east of the building. (Credit: Diamond District Partners, Baskervill)

Contacts:
Jason Guillot
Principal
(804) 697 3561
jason.guillot@thalhimer.com

Maritza Pechin
Director of Development
(804) 554 3830
maritza.pechin@thalhimer.com

ABOUT DIAMOND DISTRICT PARTNERS
Diamond District Partners (DDP) is the master developer behind the Diamond District, led by Thalhimer Realty Partners (TRP). Thalhimer Realty Partners is a Richmond-based real estate investment firm with a portfolio of more than $1.4 billion in commercial and multifamily assets, built on decades of experience acquiring, developing, and managing multifamily, retail, office, and industrial properties. DDP was formed to bring that experience directly to the Diamond District, carrying the project from land transfer through delivery. TRP is headquartered in Richmond, VA, with assets located throughout the Southeast Region. www.thalhimerrealtypartners.com

That work is already underway. DDP hosted the public infrastructure groundbreaking in April 2025. By 2028, seven new uses will be complete or nearly complete: a new baseball stadium by the team, 2.23 acres of new public green spaces, a 180-key hotel by Kalyan Hospitality, a 276-unit market-rate apartment building with 453-space parking garage by DDP, a 161-unit workforce housing development by Pennrose/Nix, a 115,000 square foot trophy office building by DDP, and a 20,000 square foot retail building by DDP.

In 2028, you will be able to live, work, play, shop/dine, and stay at the Diamond District. DDP looks forward to welcoming you and hopes you will find your home base at the Diamond District. Learn more about the Diamond District at www.rvadiamond.com

ABOUT THE DIAMOND DISTRICT
The Diamond District is a new mixed-income neighborhood taking shape around a new series of public green spaces and Richmond’s minor league ballpark. The redevelopment of the site is a public-private partnership between the City of Richmond, the Richmond Economic Development Authority (EDA), and DDP. As the master developer, DDP oversees the development of the public infrastructure and the private development at the Diamond District. (Note that DDP did not develop the new minor league baseball stadium. The stadium was developed via a public-private partnership agreement between the EDA and the baseball team ownership group.)

DDP broke ground on developing the public infrastructure in April 2025 and over the next 10-15 years, the 67-acre site will transform from a 1980s baseball stadium with surface parking lots into a new mixed-use community anchored by a new crescent park and a new stadium.

Written on July 29, 2026