The venue is probably is not long for the world, but there’s still a devoted fanbase appreciating RFK Stadium, twice home to MLB in Washington, D.C., and a historically significant facility. Of course, what makes it historically significant — its status as the first cookie-cutter stadium, designed both for the NFL’s Washington Redskins and the […]
Archive | Endangered Ballparks
Diablos lease to be bought out
The El Paso City Council will vote tonight to terminate the El Paso Diablos (independent; American Association) lease for Cohen Stadium, paying $300,000 to the team. The Cohen Stadium lease runs through 2016, and in the past few years the team has made some significant investments in the ballpark, including a new scoreboard (which can […]
Want to live at a ballpark? Better move fast
The conversion of Indianapolis’s Bush Stadium to high-end apartments has been a resounding success, with 90 percent of the units already pre-leased before the August opening. Bush Stadium was the home of the Indianapolis Indians through from 1931 through 1996, when the team moved to downtown’s Victory Field. It opened in 1931 as Perry Stadium and was renamed Victory Field in 1942 to […]
Keeping baseball alive at Tiger Stadium
The city may be seeking an alternative use for the site, but the Navin Field Grounds Crew and dedicated vintage-baseball enthusiasts are keeping the spirit of baseball alive at the old Tiger Stadium site. The ballpark grandstand is gone — torn down in stages while the city dithered over a proposed from the late Ernie […]
Newest development plan for Tiger Stadium site: Urban Café Detroit
The latest redevelopment plan for the old Tiger Stadium site: Urban Café Detroit, an entertainment complex featuring a hotel, restaurant and other services. From WWJ: Francois DeMonique told WWJ City Beat Reporter Vickie Thomas he wants to see the site at Michigan Avenue and Trumbull transformed into a unique hotel and entertainment complex. “I love this city and […]
Plan emerges for Knights Stadium site
Retailer Cato Corp. is proposing a $450-million mixed-use development that would include the current site of Knights Stadium, the home of the Charlotte Knights (Class AAA; International League). The ballpark is slated to close at the end of the season, when the Knights make the move to a new Uptown ballpark. York County (S.C.) has […]
Bismarck Municipal Ballpark to be renovated this summer
Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, which has seen plenty of history (including the likes of Satchel Paige and Ray Dandridge gracing the playing field) over the years, will be upgraded this season — to the tune of $1.5 million. The ballpark currently seats 800 in a run-down grandstand. The project, funded with private donations and administered by […]
Hinchliffe Stadium receives landmark status, but recovery far from assured
Hinchliffe Stadium, former home to Negro Leagues baseball in Paterson, N.J., has received national historic landmark status, but it’s unclear whether it will do anything to help restore the run-down facility. Facilities cited by the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior receive a designation letter, a plaque, and technical preservation advice. […]
Skylands Park sale falls through
A purchase of Skylands Park has fallen through after an investor specializing in distressed properties couldn’t make the numbers work. Mark Roscioli missed a March 1 deadline to close on a purchase of the former home of the New Jersey Cardinals (short season A; NY-Penn League) and the Sussex SkyHawks (independent; Can-Am League) for $950,000. […]
New Bush Stadium apartments hit the market
The conversion of Indianapolis’s Bush Stadium to loft-style apartments is underway, with apartments expected to be ready for occupancy this summer. Core Redevelopment and its management company are taking applications for studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments built on the grounds of the former home of Indianapolis Indians (Class AAA; International League). From the Indianapolis Recorder: […]
New Orleans to commemorate Pelican Stadium
Pelican Stadium, the longtime home of professional baseball in New Orleans, will be honored with a commemorative plaque at a ceremony today. The ballpark, located at the southwest corner of Tulane and South Carrollton Avenue, is long gone, but memories of the Pelicans persist. From NOLA.com: The ballpark was used by the former minor league […]
Future of Greensboro’s War Memorial under debate
Greensboro officials are weighing options for the future of rapidly deteriorating War Memorial Stadium, the former home to professional baseball in that North Carolina city. Opening in 1926, War Memorial Stadium was built for football and adapted over the years for baseball. Currently used for high-school and college baseball, the condition of the ballpark has […]
Historic Palmar del Junco to be renovated
Baseball tourism is already big business in Cuba, and officials are sweetening the pot by announcing a plan to renovate Palmar del Junco, a historic facility where the first recorded organized game in the country was played in 1874. The historic game was played Dec. 27, 1874, in Pueblo Nuevo, Matanzas (located about 70 miles […]