Since 2012, Richmond has poured nearly $19 million in taxpayer dollars into relocating and clearing repair shops and other city facilities from city property along the Boulevard. The goal is to rev up the city economy by redeveloping the area.

So far, nothing has happened, with recent dreams of bringing a children’s hospital to the site evaporating.

But with an election year looming and Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ tenure heading toward an end, the rush is on to push the Boulevard project forward in hopes of fulfilling the vision of generating hundreds of new jobs and millions of dollars in new retail, office and residential development.

In a surprise move Monday night, a sharply divided Richmond City Council gave Mayor Jones the OK to create a strategy for transforming the 60 acres of city property in the Boulevard area that also includes The Diamond baseball stadium and the Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center as well as the privately owned Sports Backers Stadium track and soccer field.

The 5-4 vote capped the council’s final meeting of the year and puts the potentially biggest economic development project in city history on the front burner in the new year when candidates for mayor and the council will be campaigning for votes.

Council’s thumbs-up was a clear victory for the mayor, whose big push to replace The Diamond with a stadium in Shockoe Bottom to help clear the way for the Boulevard development ended up being rebuffed in 2014.

The vote on the Boulevard redevelopment resolution became contentious after it was delayed to 11 p.m., when the council chamber at City Hall was virtually empty.

The vote was unexpected. Earlier in the evening Chris A. Hilbert, 3rd District, had won support for amending the resolution and putting off the vote until Jan. 11.

But once the amendments were in place, Kathy C. Graziano, 4th District, insisted on a vote, calling it time “for us to begin to make progress on looking at the Boulevard as the economic development driver it should be.”

Mr. Hilbert, who plans to run for mayor next year, joined her in supporting the resolution, as did another mayoral prospect, Council President Michelle R. Mosby, 9th District, Ellen F. Robertson, 6th District, and Cynthia I. Newbille, 7th District.

“I think the citizens are sick and tired of us delaying making any decisions on the Boulevard,” Ms. Robertson said. “I think the citizens would be glad to know that we finally made a decision and that we’re moving forward.”

Other members deplored the rush, particularly at a time when just a scant number of people were present and no one spoke during the public comment period.

Jonathan T. Baliles, 1st District, another potential mayoral candidate, was among the council members who sought to put off the vote. He and Charles R. Samuels, 2nd District, had spent months pressing the administration to get started in creating a plan for the Boulevard and supporting advocates of a replacement stadium on the Boulevard.

He was clearly upset that the council was taking action with little public notice in contrast to the resolution’s promise of a “deliberate and transparent process.”

Mr. Baliles and Mr. Samuels joined Parker C. Agelasto, 5th District, and Reva M. Trammell, 8th District, in opposing the vote as most Richmond residents slept.

The majority argued that the public will have plenty of involvement as the city seeks to determine the “highest and best use” use for the property and to lay out a strategy to make it happen.

There are also future decisions on such questions as whether The Diamond, home to the minor league Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball team, should remain at the Boulevard, be renovated or replaced or whether baseball should be eliminated. The future of the Ashe Center and possibly the Sports Backers Stadium also are up for discussion.

Advocates also noted that the council still has a big role to play. If all goes well, the administration is to return to the council in April and May to seek approval for zoning and related changes to implement its recommended “highest-and-best-use” strategy — a strategy the council would need to endorse.

If this strategy passes muster, the administration could then issue requests for qualifications for developers and, by summer, possibly choose a developer to make the project happen over the next two to five years.