RICHMOND, VA (WTVR) -- The New Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center in Richmond is costing more to build than first thought. Originally, the facility was budgeted to cost $10 million dollars, with the City of Richmond providing most of that cash through a grant.
However on Tuesday CBS 6 confirmed with the Richmond Economic Development Authority (EDA) that the EDA has recently authorized an increase in the budget. Now the budget is around $11.1 million. Style Weekly first reported this story.
"There is always a chance the budget can increase," Rich Johnson, Chairman of the EDA, told CBS 6. While the budget is permitted to grow as much as $11.1 million, Johnson says he expects the total price tag to be less.
"Right now my best projection is that it is going to come in about $10.8 million," Johnson said.
Will the increase in the budget cost taxpayers? The answer is no.
Johnson said the new money is coming from a reserve fund provided by private donors - mostly Bon Secours.
Mike Wallace, a spokesman with the City of Richmond, confirmed that taxpayers would not be responsible for the increase in the budget.
"It is the City’s understanding that the EDA will not come back to the city to ask for additional dollars to cover the additional cost," Wallace said.
So why the increase in budget?
Johnson said it is because the nearby Science Museum expressed concern over the planned design, hinting it was planning an expansion of its facility and that the original design would be in the way.
That forced the training camp to redesign the location of its main building as well as the location of an overflow park area.
"It will be a great overflow area if the park turns out to be as popular as I thought it was going to be," Johnson said.
Overall Johnson said the EDA is more concerned with the sod issue at the Redskins training center presently. Johnson says because of the colder than usual weather, the sod has not be growing according to plan.
"The sod just not growing as it normally would," Johnson said.
Johnson emphasized the Training Camp is still scheduled for completion on June 30 with the Redskins camp beginning on July 25.
