By: Michael Montgomery, AIA | Office Leader
Baseball in Richmond, Va., has a long, rich history with a dedicated fan base. For the last 41 years, fans have cheered on the Braves, Rams and Flying Squirrels baseball teams at The Diamond, a towering concrete structure built in 1985, which was deteriorating due to age. In fact, for more than 25 years, a mix of supporters, owners and public officials have been exploring ways to write the next chapter of baseball in Richmond. Plans to significantly renovate The Diamond or build a new ballpark in the downtown core of Shockoe Bottom failed to gain enough support and funding to move forward.
For those keeping score at home, The Diamond pre-dated the adoption of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) nationwide by five years. Simply put, despite the rock-solid support for America’s pastime, baseball fans in Richmond have never known the impact of a fully accessible facility designed with fan-first comfort as a critical success factor. That is, until CarMax Park opened this season to well-earned fanfare.
CarMax Park: where fan comfort comes first
From the view on the I-64 overpass north of downtown Richmond, CarMax Park may appear to be a smaller facility in stature. But as fans realized in the first home series of the 2026 season, the new ballpark has a higher capacity than its predecessor at 9,585 — and now in a much more intimate and fan-friendly relationship to the field.
Gone is the narrow concourse with limited concessions and antiquated restroom facilities, tucked behind the grandstands without view of the field. CarMax Park offers a 360-degree concourse that wraps the entire ballpark — wide enough to allow fans to move freely about the stadium and take in the action from any position along the route. This visibility from anywhere inside the park contributes to the overall fan comfort. From their chair back seats down the first and third baselines, fans can scan the concourse for the shortest line of ballpark concession staples and new tasty offerings in either of the traditional belly-up counters and grab-and-go markets, which are gaining in popularity in the industry. From the concession stands, evenly distributed around the park, fans won’t miss any of the action on the field.
Consultants aimed to strike a balance between industry standards and unique experiences for fans not available in any other venue. Rather than relying solely on yesterday’s solutions to solve today’s design challenges, the team focused on adapting proven ballpark concepts to the unique character, operational goals and long-term vision for Richmond. Every decision — from circulation and concessions to premium seating and social gathering spaces — was evaluated through the lens of fan experience, operational flexibility and community identity. The result is a facility that feels familiar in all the right ways while still delivering something distinctly Richmond.
Along the outfield are several distinct fan areas ranging from general admission family lawn, drink rail seats with view directly into the home and visiting team bullpens, and paired Adirondack style chair seats with buffet food and beverage packages directly adjacent. Anthony Oppermann, Flying Squirrels general manager, highlighted the Rail Car Suites in left field as fun and unique easter egg, calling back to the importance the rail industry had on shaping Richmond’s past and present.
A unique feature at CarMax Park that all fans should take time to seek out and enjoy are the public art displays throughout the facility. As a goal of the overall Diamond District, funds were specifically set aside to engage local artists. Richmond muralist and Jackson Ward Native, Sir James Thornhill shared his enthusiasm for the artistic layer added at CarMax Park, saying, “I’m truly excited about this project. When it came to me, I knew it was a great opportunity to unite our community through public art and history, Richmond’s muralists are remarkable, and selecting these artists has been a highlight. Working with the Squirrels team has been an exceptional experience. As the art director and a native of our historic city, it’s meaningful to help shape something that honors both our past and future. CarMax Park is more than a stadium; it’s a hub where the community enjoys baseball, art, and shared experiences. As art director, I’m proud to bring my experience from murals across Richmond, and I’m thrilled that our artists are making their mark on this forward-looking project.”
Delivering these projects also requires a fundamentally different approach to design and construction. It is not about scaling down the strategies used for mega-projects. Instead, focus should be invested in research and development around materials, construction systems, and delivery methods that maximize design quality and user experience while responding to tight budgets, rising construction costs and accelerated schedules. Solutions such as modular systems, hybrid construction approaches and carefully coordinated phasing can efficiently deliver high-performing facilities without compromising ambition or community impact.
If the box score, ticket booth, and merchandise sales are an early indication, all metrics point to CarMax Park being a game changer for Richmond. The Flying Squirrels topped attendance in all minor league baseball, nearly doubled franchise records for single-day merchandise sales, and set an all-time franchise record for consecutive wins in the opening weeks at CarMax Park.
Community-centric design
As municipalities continue to seek ways to enhance quality of life, attract investment and create inclusive public spaces, stadiums present a unique opportunity. When designed as true community hubs and grounded in data, engagement and innovation, they become long-term civic assets that deliver value far beyond game day.
Christian Petschen, public venues studio leader at LaBella summarizes the shift in these project types. “For decades, stadiums were conceived as single-purpose facilities that came alive only on game days. Today, that model is no longer sufficient. Communities are increasingly recognizing that stadiums can, and should, serve as multi-functional civic assets that support economic development, social connectivity, and long-term community vitality. When planned intentionally, stadiums become true community hubs and catalysts for revitalization.”
CarMax Park is the first project to open as part of the ambitious Diamond District, a sports-anchored mixed-use development with a community hub and catalyst for revitalization. The Diamond District will eventually see 67-acres in the heart of the city’s national history district called Scott’s Addition, which will be developed with housing, office, dining, entertainment, retail and public open space. When LaBella Associates signed on as the architect, the overall master plan and field orientation of the yet to be named ballpark had been set. But the soul of the venue — the fan amenities — had yet to be defined in any meaningful way. In a short and focused period, the design team worked closely with ownership and local stakeholders to visualize and test solutions to create meaningful fan experiences at a range of price points to respond to this market’s dynamic needs. According to Trey Wilson, director of communications and broadcasting with the Flying Squirrels, the result is a “best in class facility, with all the bells and whistles to put on a fun and entertaining show.”
The Flying Squirrels have been planning non-baseball events to deliver on their goal of 365-day-a-year use since the early design phases. Concerts, combat sports like boxing and mixed martial arts, and comedy shows are being programmed and booked for fans to experience CarMax Park in a new way this first offseason. This type of sports-anchored mixed-use development has become an increasingly common strategy across the country, as communities look to maximize year-round economic activity and create destinations that remain active well beyond game day.
For designers and operators alike, that evolution requires a more nuanced understanding of how facilities will function across multiple event types and audiences. Accommodating concerts, festivals, and civic gatherings alongside baseball operations introduces a different level of complexity — one that demands careful coordination between fan experience, venue logistics, security, circulation, and back-of-house operations. At CarMax Park, flexibility was not treated as an afterthought, but rather as a foundational design consideration that supports both the primary use of the facility and its broader role within the Diamond District.
As summer settles into Richmond and the Diamond District continues to take shape around it, CarMax Park is already proving to be more than just the new home of the Flying Squirrels. It is a gathering place designed to bring people together for baseball, concerts, celebrations and shared community experiences for years to come. Whether attending a sold-out game under the lights or discovering the venue for the first time at a community event this fall, fans are finding that the next chapter of baseball in Richmond was well worth the wait.
As they say in Richmond… Have Funn, and Go Nutz!
