The General Assembly just gave a big boost to the plan to build a replacement for The Diamond baseball stadium on the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority property at Hermitage and Robin Hood roads.

The final budget shows approval for the House of Delegate’s plan to provide Virginia Commonwealth University with $16 million to buy the 20-acre property that the Virginia ABC will give up this year when it moves to Hanover County.

The state Senate initially wanted VCU to pay $13 million for the property but adopted the House’s approach in the end.

VCU proposes to join with the Richmond Flying Squirrels to build a new stadium to serve both the university’s baseball squad and the AA minor league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.

The university already has acquired adjoining properties, including the former Salvation Army residential addiction center and store, and the former Greyhound maintenance facility, to create the space for a multifaceted athletic village for other sports.

While the development timetable is uncertain, the move of The Diamond will clear the way for City Hall to advertise for developers for the total 60 acres of property in which the stadium is a centerpiece.

Most of the land has been cleared of former city and school operation offices and shops, but the land has sat idle during the several years it took to finalize decisions about replacing the ABC headquarters and warehouse and to construct its new home in Hanover.

The city has not offered proposals for replacing the Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center, the school system’s basketball and convocation center that sits just north of The Diamond. City plans have indicated that the Ashe Center, like the stadium, is to be demolished and included as part of the land to be redeveloped potentially as an office, retail and residential complex.