RICHMOND, Va. -- As design work continues on its anchor baseball stadium, efforts to tee up the first phase of Richmond’s Diamond District project are getting a funding boost from the city’s Economic Development Authority.

The EDA board last month authorized staff to enter into a contract with Navigators Baseball LP, the ownership group of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, to provide up to $1 million in city funds to help advance the new stadium’s design and development.

Leonard Sledge, the city’s economic development director, told the board the funds are needed to push the project forward and keep the new stadium on track to open in time for the 2026 season, the city’s target for complying with new facility standards for pro baseball venues.