Richmond's new baseball stadium officially has a name
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A rendering of what the main entrance could look like. Photo: Courtesy of the Flying Squirrels
Richmond's new baseball stadium will be named CarMax Park.
Why it matters: It's the first time in about 40 years that the city's ballpark won't be called "The Diamond."
The intrigue: Flying Squirrels Managing General Partner Lou DiBella partly credits CarMax for being the reason Richmond won't lose its Minor League Baseball team.
- And the stadium is key to a $2.4 billion redevelopment in the Diamond District.
Driving the news: The Richmond-area-based used car retailer announced the long-awaited rename at a press conference Wednesday morning.
- Neither the team or retailer went into detail about how long the multi-year naming rights partnership will last or how much CarMax is paying.
- But the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that in the minors, naming rights deals typically go on for up to 20 years.
- Dunkin' Donuts pays about $500,000 per year for the Hartford Yard Goats' slightly smaller Dunkin' Donuts Park (The Yard Goats are in the Squirrels' league), RTD wrote.
Plus, VCU baseball will also make annual lease payments since they'll share the park, per RTD.
What to expect: For non-baseball fans, CarMax park will also be home to "large-scale events year-round, including concerts, festivals and community gatherings," according to a release.
- It'll have "a 360-degree, wrap-around concourse," a "multi-tiered beer garden" inspired by Scott's Addition, a kids zone, 20 luxury suites, public art spaces, murals and more.
- For die-hard single baseball fans, you could also one day get married there, per the release.
Sabrina's thought bubble: I hope they follow in the footsteps of Nationals Park in D.C. and book Carly Rae Jepsen.
What's next: There's a celebration on Friday of the renaming from 5-6:30pm in front of the Diamond where people can get autographs from players or win four tickets to the first home game at CarMax Park.
- The ballpark is projected to be done by the 2026 season.