There could be some good news in the offing for Hamtramck Stadium, as a group will seek funds in 2017 to preserve the historic Negro League ballpark.
Our archives contain numerous stories on Hamtramck Stadium, a former ballpark located in Hamtramck, MI. For years, groups–including the Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium–have sought to restore the ballpark to working condition.
Such a project would be a significant endeavor. Not only would it secure recreational space in the area, but it would mark a significant step in preserving a Negro League ballpark, something that is is particularly important given that numerous Negro League facilities have sadly fallen by the wayside over the years.
In 2017, however, Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium, wants to take steps to spruce up the facility. During the new year, the group will start a campaign that would revitalize the facility and convert it into a multipurpose field space. More from The Detroit News:
A nonprofit dedicated to preserving the site on Dan Street off Jos. Campau said it is launching a crowdfunding campaign in early 2017 in hopes of raising $50,000 to restore the field’s baseball diamond, stripe out a soccer field and include a cricket pitch for area youth.
By June, the Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium intend to embark on a capital campaign to help repair original brick structures, renovate the grandstand and add new bleachers and railings, said Gary Gillette, founder and president of the group.
“It’s really important for us to see the stadium and field get a new life. We’d like to have kids playing on a renovated, restored field there next summer,” Gillette said. “What we also want to do is honor the heritage of the Negro Leagues.”
Gillette, president of the Detroit Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research, said he began looking into the stadium’s history in 2008, when he learned it could be razed. Soon after, he formed a partnership with city officials to ensure the site and its history were preserved.
Hamtramck Stadium first opened in 1930. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
Image courtesy Hamtramck Stadium preservation group.
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