Featured image credit: Richmond Flying Squirrels
Used-car retailer CarMax has acquired naming rights to the new home stadium of Minor League Baseball’s Richmond Flying Squirrels that will anchor the wide-ranging Diamond District development.
CarMax Park will have a seated capacity of 8,000 and will also be used to host music concerts and other events. The Flying Squirrels are an affiliate of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the stadium has been scheduled for tomorrow (Friday) and construction is expected to be completed before the start of the Flying Squirrels’ 2026 season.
Richmond-based CarMax has been a partner of the Flying Squirrels since 2016. The company plans on using the ballpark as a platform to support local community partners by offering in-stadium advertising and opportunities to host events at the venue.
The stadium will feature a 360-degree wraparound concourse, highlighted by a field-level dugout suite. It will also include a multi-tiered beer garden, a kids’ zone with outfield lawn seating, several climate-controlled indoor spaces, and 20 luxury suites.
Bill Nash, president and chief executive of CarMax, said: “This is an exciting time for Richmond, and CarMax’s naming-rights partnership reflects our commitment to our city, its people, and its growth. CarMax Park will bring the community together through unforgettable experiences. We’re thrilled to take this next step with the Squirrels, continuing to build on our history of community engagement, innovation, and progress for our hometown.”
Lou DiBella, managing general partner of the Flying Squirrels, added: “Our long-term partnership with CarMax allowed our future home to become a reality. This commitment reflects the corporate and community leadership CarMax consistently demonstrates here in Richmond. Thank you to CarMax, Mayor Stoney, the City Council, our Richmond community leaders, and our incredible, loyal, league-leading fanbase for believing that Flying Squirrels baseball belongs in Richmond and that we all deserve a ballpark we can be proud of.”
CarMax also has partnerships with the WNBA, NBA and NWSL, as well as several professional basketball and soccer teams across the US.
The City of Richmond selected the RVA Diamond Partners consortium as its development partner for the mixed-use district back in September 2022. The project is expected to cost $2.4bn (£1.8bn/€2.2bn).
As well as CarMax Park, the Diamond District will feature homes, apartments, restaurants, retail stores, a hotel and a signature crescent-shaped park across 67 acres of public land. The stadium itself is set to cost $117m.
The Flying Squirrels currently play at The Diamond, which opened in 1985 and is no longer in line with the standards required by MLB.
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