Upgrades under way at The Diamond
MARK GORMUS/TIMES-DISPATCH
Aluminum benches have been taken out of the lower bowl at The Diamond. They will be replaced with 3,200 dark green box seats. The work is part of the facility’s renovation for the Flying Squirrels.
Lower-deck benches are gone. Concession stands have been gutted. A former restaurant is being transformed into a merchandise store.
The Diamond is undergoing unprecedented renovation.
Before the Class AA Richmond Flying Squirrels open their home schedule April 15, 3,200 dark green box seats will be fitted into the lower bowl, which had aluminum benches and backrests. The concession operation will be reinvented. Flying Squirrels gear will be sold from one of the largest souvenir shops in the minor leagues.
"In terms of the [fans'] experience, being able to sit in a new, individual plastic seat with a cup-holder is going to be probably the first thing that makes the most lasting impression," said Mike Berry, general manager of the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, which owns and operates The Diamond.
Franchise owners committed $1.5 million to renovation. The RMA contributed $75,500.
"The team with new ownership is looking to do whatever they can to make [fans] feel that this is going to be a fun place," Berry said. "There's going to be a lot of stuff going on, and they want to make this the best family experience they can make it."
No comparable upgrade took place at the 12,134-seat facility while Atlanta's Triple-A team, owned by the Atlanta Braves, played there from the ballpark's opening day in 1985 through the 2008 season. There also are improvements fans won't see. The front office has been remodeled. The home clubhouse was gutted and expanded. It will include a weight room. The press box is getting new windows.
More comfortable seats and better concessions were priorities, according to Todd Parnell, the Flying Squirrels' vice president and COO.
"People are really going to be able to have a full food and beverage experience here at The Diamond," he said. "They'll be able to see the food being prepared. They'll be able to smell it. They'll be able to enjoy the taste of it.
"There's a lot, in my opinion, that goes on with food and beverage as part of the experience a family has wherever they go. It's our plan to make sure the food and beverage experience here is a big part of coming to the game."
There is no resolution concerning Connecticut, the sculpture of the American Indian that peers out over The Boulevard, Berry said. His staff is exploring options apart from the ballpark perch for Connecticut because "I don't know that the team necessarily feels like he really fits into what they're doing," said Berry. He chose not to elaborate on what options are being considered.
The RMA and the franchise agreed to a two-year lease for use of The Diamond, with three one-year renewals possible. During the period to which the lease applies, the RMA and the franchise will explore the possibilities of a major renovation of The Diamond and a new ballpark, at that site or elsewhere.
Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
Too little, too late. They could put in gold-plated toilet seats and it wouldn’t matter, as I have no plans to attend a SF Giants affiliated, NY owned, squirrels game.
160,000. Estimated number of baseballs used per season, about 5-6 dozen balls per game.
30. Approximate number of professional baseball and football teams that use artificial/synthetic turf.
80 million. Number of spectators that Major League Baseball attracts each year.
10. Approximate number of the 30 MLB teams that have “gone green,” according to the EPA.
30 million. Number of hot dogs estimated to be sold at MLB parks in 2008.
5,500. Amount of construction waste, in tons, recycled from the building of Nationals Park.
480,000. Pounds of carbon emissions created by the 18-block-long, 100% recycled “green” carpet for the 2008 All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade (though the emissions were offset through carbon credits).
18. Tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions reduced at Fenway Park stadium by installing solar thermal panels on the roof behind home plate.
180. Number of recyclable containers placed throughout the Pittsburgh Pirates ballpark to encourage recycling of plastic bottles and cans.
870. Pounds of glass the Pittsburgh Pirates recycled in 2008. Also recycled were 5,913 pounds of aluminum cans; 33,547 pounds of plastic; 3.61 tons of mixed paper; 193 tons of baled cardboard and skids of catalogs and 20,100 gallons of used cooking oil.
724. Days it took to build the Washington Nationals’ new ballpark, which was the first green professional stadium in the U.S. and LEED-silver certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
30. Percentage of overall water consumption reduced by installing water-conserving plumbing fixtures, saving an estimated 3.6 million gallons of water per year at Nationals Park.
6,300. Number of square feet for a green roof above the Nationals’ concession/toilet area that minimizes roof heat gain.
590. Amount of solar panels installed at the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park, providing up to 120 kilowatts of energy that will be connected to San Francisco’s power grid.
100,000. Amount, in dollars, AT&T Park saved on garbage disposal fees in one year through its recycling program.
Dow Corning Corp. and Hemlock Semiconductor Corp. have teamed up to donate 168 solar panels, located outside the right field fence and adjacent to the outfield parking lot, which are designed to generate enough energy to operate the stadium’s scoreboard. Representatives from both companies showed off the panels — mounted 30 inches above the ground to be above the snow line — to local media on Friday, which was cold but sunny. Hemlock Semiconductor makes the polycrystalline silicon that is the main component of the panels, and Dow Corning makes protective coatings for the panels.
“We’re delighted to offer this completely renewable energy source to the Michigan Baseball Foundation and the mid-Michigan community,” said Marie Eckstein, vice president and general manager of Advanced Technologies and Ventures at Dow Corning. “Mid-Michigan residents can be proud that many of the enabling technologies were developed or made right here in mid-Michigan.”
The solar panels will be connected to the stadium’s main power grid, and the panels also will be tied to the grid Consumers Energy uses to supply the state with power. The panels will generate power year-round. At peak performance, they will produce 28.56 kilowatt-hours of power. During a year, that amount of energy is equal to the electricity consumed by seven homes.
California utility Pacific Gas & Electric Co. will install a solar energy system at the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park, believed to be the first solar power plant at a major league baseball park.
The utility, a unit of San Francisco-based PG&E Corp., will place 590 solar panels at the park to produce 123 kilowatts of electricity, enough energy to light up a new scoreboard or power about 25 homes.
Solar electricity is in use at some minor league baseball parks in the United States and at soccer stadiums in Europe and Asia.
The Nuremberg soccer stadium in Germany installed a solar photovoltaic system ahead of the 2006 World Cup to supply electricity to the local grid, and Switzerland’s new Stade de Suisse in Bern has a big solar installation on its roof.
citycynic… it has happened to me on several occasions. If someone flagged it, than they will take it down regardless of how innocent your post may be. If I flagged your last post, the RTD would take it down without weighing in on what has been said in your post.
Also, too on the flip side of the coin, the RTD have taken many of the points down when they do not like what they see. I was told that they feel like that they are monitoring kids on a school bus with the posting here. I guess they feel like the parent and we cannot just say anything….
citycynic…hey..i don’t agree with all of your posts…and often respond back to you…but SOMEONE out there flagged it for some freakin’ reason…(I didn’t see ur post btw)
some folks on here are just so PC…!...lol…guess they were never part of a debate team in high school…or maybe they are all home schooled?..LOL
revnhoj - I submitted a post before the “vote” pointing out the slang definition of “squirrel”, too. It got posted and then a minute later removed. It wasn’t graphic or anything. So if it’s too offensive for the RTD, why in the world why is it ok for a team name???
Don’t forget to put in some bleacher seats. They are a must at any baseball game, especially a town that has a good student population.
Let’s throw a Squirrel off the roof of the Diamond and see if it will fly.
I am glad the new team is putting the money into the ballpark. I was against any NEW field as I thought the Diamond was in a GREAT location for easy access to the ballpark with parking.
Now in regards to the new name; The Flying Squirrels. I think Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts will be playing as a group on Opening Night. I think many T-shirts will be sold with a lot of NUT overtones on each shirt….
Post a Comment(Requires free registration)
- Please avoid offensive, vulgar, or hateful language.
- Respect others.
- Use the "Flag Comment" link when necessary.
- See the Terms and Conditions for details.
Advertisement