Dickey-Stephens Ballpark in Arkansas hosts a Class AA team, but boasts Major League appeal.
Photo of Dickey-Stephens Ballpark in North Little Rock, ArkansasVenues that host Class AA minor-league baseball games are not extraordinarily large - Dickey-Stephens Ballpark in North Little Rock, Ark., for example, features just 5,300 fixed seats. But a limited spectator area doesn't always result in something that looks bush league. Reflecting the city's history as a rail center (and, in particular, the original Little Rock Union Station), the design of Dickey-Stephens includes entry points behind third base, home plate and first base that are essentially just large-volume spaces that give the facility an outsize presence in the streetscape and evoke a sense of grandeur among spectators walking through it. In between, one-story volumes house restrooms, concessions stands and other retail spaces, while a connected building in right field accommodates a kitchen, commissary and maintenance area. Dallas-based architects HKS Inc. added vertical mass to this large-footprint facility by enclosing the second-level concourse and suite area above the seating bowl, and including a railroad station-style clock tower that serves as the ballpark's focal point.
