Flying Squirrels Set to Soar at CarMax Park

Photo Courtesy of the Richmond Flying Squirrels

The Richmond Flying Squirrels will be getting a new ballpark in 2026. After 40 years of minor league baseball played at The Diamond, a new era will begin at CarMax Field. A state-of-the-art facility that will be used for more than just baseball games.

Team officials describe it as a multi-use entertainment venue in the heart of the Diamond District, a 67-acre mixed-use development featuring apartments, housing, hotels, retail stores, restaurants, and public green space. While the mixed-use area is common among new ballparks built in the early 21st century, it is what is inside that will stand out among others of its kind.

The stadium will feature a 360-degree wraparound concourse slightly raised above street level. The left-field area will feature group and social spaces featuring a multi-tiered beer garden and a kids’ zone with outfield lawn seating in right field. The stadium will have a capacity of 10,000, with 5,500 on the lower level. The seats will be wider and there will be more room between the rows.

Field-level dugout suites will place fans as close as possible to home plate. It will offer a unique viewing experience and a look into the visiting team's dugout.

​Photo Courtesy of the Richmond Flying Squirrels

The left field social area will be home to the Car Scout Power Tower, a distinctive feature that will stand 34 feet tall and 8 feet wide. The LED screen will display game information and enhance entertainment elements. It might be the first of its kind at a minor league stadium and perhaps a harbinger to future endeavors.

The Atlantic Union Bank Lounge will have 6,000 square feet of indoor space to entertain fans during the ballgame, but also be big enough for conferences, banquets, fundraisers, weddings, and other functions throughout the calendar year.

The exterior of the stadium will be equipped with a solar array on the roof and parking lot. A total of 1,700 solar panels will cover portions of the two-tier roof, and five solar panels will cover the carports in the parking lot. All of the harnessed energy will generate 1 megawatt of carbon-free electricity, enough to power 250 Richmond homes at full capacity.

​Photo Courtesy of the Richmond Flying Squirrels

As for The Diamond, that has stood the test of time as the home of the Squirrels and formerly the Richmond Braves, it will be razed and redeveloped as part of the Diamond District. The stadium finished at the bottom of Stadium Journey's Double-A Rankings this year.

CarMax Park will be everything The Diamond could never be. A facility that can host more than 9 innings of baseball and do it comfortably. There will be more than a few baseball travelers making plans for Richmond in the spring and summer of next year.

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Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter and his YouTube channel. Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com