We have some new details and conceptual renderings about a new Richmond Flying Squirrels ballpark, as the Double-A Eastern League team moves forward with a schematic site design submitted to the city.
To say it’s been a long journey to this point, which is still early in the design process, is an understatement; it seems like when this site launched back in 2002 the Richmond Braves were exploring a replacement for The Diamond. After several false starts in proposals and planning for a new Richmond Flying Squirrels ballpark, it looks like site prep is ready to start, with the initial plans submitted to the city.
Plans for the new Richmond Flying Squirrels ballpark were reviewed by Richmond BizSense, which obtained the plans after a Freedom of Information request. The plans are still in the conceptual phase, so they are not guaranteed to match what exactly opens to the public in 2026. Here are the highlights of the current ballpark design:
The designs show what’s described as a 10,000-seat stadium with upper-level suites above open-air seating and various amenities around the entirety of the ballfield, including an outfield play area for kids and families, terraced lawn seating, a beer garden, party deck, barbecue picnic area, and an east-side main entrance opening out to the Diamond District’s planned linear park….
The 10,000 seats described in the designs is a return to the capacity originally proposed for the venue, which was first envisioned for 8,000 seats and space for 2,000 standing-room patrons. The planned capacity at one time was dropped to 9,000 and most recently was projected at 9,400. The Diamond currently seats about 9,500, with attendance for Flying Squirrels games averaging over 6,000.
Meanwhile, the stadium’s projected cost has increased to between $110 million and $120 million, up from an earlier estimate of $90 million.
That cost, by the way, is not out of line, as we’ve seen in planning new ballparks in Chattanooga and Knoxville. It will, of course, meet the new MiLB facility specs.
BizSense has more details about the ballpark design, but it’s all pretty much standard fare: lots of neighborhoods for individual seating areas, outfield berm, specialty group areas, kids’ play area with climbing wall and a club level with suites. The Flying Squirrels are now overseeing ballpark design and construction, with Machete Group leading the way as project manager, with Odell, Ballpark Design Associates and KEI. The design is described as Richmond-style industrial, along with some mill-inspired spaced; you should read through all the details here.
The new Richmond Flying Squirrels ballpark is the centerpiece of a $2.4 billion, 67-acre, mixed-use development at the current Diamond site and beyond. The development, to be implemented in four stages over 15 years, will include the ballpark, 6,800 structured parking spaces, 2,863 rental units, 157 homes, 935,000 square feet of office space, two hotels offering 330 rooms and 195,000 square feet of retail space. Previous announcements regarding the ballpark indicated a capacity of 10,000, with approximately 8,000 fixed seats and room for approximately 2,000 standing room patrons. In addition, the new ballpark would feature 20 suites and 500 club seats, with adjacent private club space that would be designed to be able to accommodate additional events like meetings, receptions, parties and other events. And, obviously, the new ballpark would meet current MiLB facility standards. The Flying Squirrels would play 70 games there, with VCU playing another 30. An additional 100 events are projected, with the cost of the ballpark forecast as $80-$100 million. Here’s an overview of the development.
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