Upgrades under way at The Diamond

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.