Three decades in the making, the Athletics Precinct has undergone a significant transformation, with Palmer Park signaling an important chapter in UVA's athletics legacy. Softball is one of the most popular collegiate sports on television and the ACC Network will utilize the new facility to televise several games in 2020 and beyond. Combined with softball’s growing popularity, this new exposure and the new stadium will impact both softball and women’s sports in vital ways at UVA. Nestled alongside Lannigan Field (track and field) and east of Klockner Stadium (soccer), the new Softball Stadium is located at the heart of the “Park of Parks” also near Disharoon Park (baseball), John Paul Jones Arena (basketball), and the George Welsh Indoor Practice Facility (football) – each designed by VMDO.
The stadium functions as both a game-day stadium and a new state-of-the-art training facility that elevates UVA's softball program and women's sports within the growing Athletics Precinct. The Softball team vacated an outdated field in a remote location and began to play at Palmer Park for the 2020 season in a new highly visible site at the center of the Athletic Precinct. In addition to heightened visibility, this move has allowed the team to work together in one location for training, practice, and play – creating efficient operations that allow the players and coaches to focus on development and training.
The architectural language of Palmer Park draws from its immediate neighbors and the rich history and legacy of UVA’s Grounds. Brick is the predominant material of the constructed edges on Massie and Copeley Roads, employed as both a base for the stadium superstructure and the skin of the Player Development Center. Stone site walls form a base for the building and help negotiate the grades at the entrance. The lightweight roof hovers above the concourse and press box, partially sheltering the grandstands and helping to support the backstop netting.
Palmer Park brings all of Virginia softball’s needs to one location. The facility features an indoor player development center, locker room, team lounge, training room, press box and meeting spaces among other amenities. The field is lit by LED field lights, a first for UVA. The ballpark features both chairback and grandstand seating behind home plate, grass hillside seating down the right field line and a berm for patrons beyond the outfield wall. The player development center features three batting cages and a dedicated pitching lane along with additional instructional space. The space can also be used for infield practice with the cages retracted. Beneath the main concourse of the stadium sits the locker room, team lounge, training room, equipment room, and meeting spaces.
Palmer Park is the first athletics competition site at UVA named for a former female student-athlete, UVA standout Lisa Palmer pitched for the Cavaliers from 1986-89, establishing school records in wins (74), innings pitched (861.2), complete games (102) and games started (112). She co-holds the school record for wins in a single season with 27 victories in the circle during the 1988 campaign. Palmer was the first UVA softball player to have her jersey number, 22, retired.
It's such a beautiful Park. The design is perfect for this location, and it's perfect for UVA. I've been to a lot of softball stadiums around the country. We think VMDO did a great job with the design. It's transformational for our Softball program.
UVA Athletics Director
Project Timeline
Early Design Concept for Lambeth Field Site
VMDO creates an early concept design for the project – along with partners DLR Group and Siteworks Landscape Architecture – that captures the spirit of the new UVA softball stadium for the initial site at historic Lambeth Field. This concept was part of a series of early designs that helps the team win the project at the proposal stage.
November 2017
Community Engagement and Shift from Lambeth Field
Recognizing Lambeth’s historic significance and listening to concerns from students, preservationists, and residents, UVA’s steering committee puts the brakes on the Lambeth site option and agrees to begin looking at other sites for the new stadium. The design team engages the community and examines nearly a dozen other possible sites for the new softball stadium.
December 2017
Site Selection Narrows to the Athletic Precinct
After voting to table the Lambeth Field site, UVA moves forward with analyzing a range of site options around the Athletic Precinct. The final location comes down to two possible sites – the U-Hall parking lot off Emmet Street (site #2) and the soccer practice field at the corner of Massie and Copeley roads (site #3). Site #3 is selected and proves to be an excellent choice.
January 2018
Field Orientation Studies
The tight geometry of the corner site at Massie and Copeley Roads allows for two possible orientations of the new stadium. The typical N/NE orientation was available, but so was the less common S/SE orientation. The decision to use the S/SE orientation was made in order to allow the stadium to open up towards the entrance of the precinct with views to UVA, the Rotunda, and even Monticello.
March 2108
Canopy Design Concept
The concept behind the canopy was to provide a single unifying design element that would be both iconic in form and performative in helping block southern sun during the early part of the season.
April 2018
360 Concourse and Grandstand Design
A major component of the design is the 360 concourse. As designed, the concourse allows spectators to circumnavigate the entire stadium while remaining in the ticketed area. The grandstands themselves are designed to allow spectators to get very close to the action and maximize sight lines to the field.
May 2018
Ground-Breaking for Palmer Park
Surrounded by her team, staff, and alumni, Coach Joanna Hardin wiped away tears at the ground-breaking ceremony for the new stadium. “This is a really big day for our program,” Hardin said standing alongside Athletics Director Carla Williams and key donors Lisa and Fran Palmer. “We aren’t here without you,” Hardin said.The new stadium is named Palmer Park after Lisa and Fran later in December 2019.
October 2018
Stadium Completion and Student Athlete Reactions
After months of patiently watching the construction, the softball team is allowed full access to the completed stadium and Palmer Park for the first time. Their reactions speak volumes about the design of the new stadium.
February 2020
Opening Game at Palmer Park
The first game at Palmer Park is electric and draws an estimated 800 people to cheer on UVA against JMU. UVA had the first hits and scored the first runs in the new stadium despite the loss. (image credit: UVA Athletics)
March 2020
Ribbon-cutting Ceremony for Palmer Park
"This day is for the hopes and dreams of little girls in the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond," said Carla Williams, UVA’s Director of Athletics, at the ribbon-cutting event. Williams, Coach Hardin, and Fran and Lisa Palmer presided over the ribbon-cutting, officially dedicating and opening Palmer Park.
March 2020
Client: University of Virginia
Location: Charlottesville, VA
Discipline: Collegiate Stadium + Practice Facilities
Completion: 2020
Performance: EUI 84 kBTU/sf/year (measured) | 11% reduction (LEED ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Appendix G baseline)
Size: 25,500 SF + 522 Seats
