As the effort to revitalize the facility continues, the City of Hamtramck is seeking proposals for the venerable Hamtramck Stadium.
Efforts have been underway to improvement Hamtramck Stadium, and bring it into working order as a multi-purpose facility. The ballpark opened in 1930 as home to the Detroit Stars, and is one of a small number of Negro League facilities that remain standing today.
For the latest step in that effort, Hamtramck officials are seeking proposals for pre-development and design services. In doing so, the city should not only get a sense of what a reuse plan will look like, but how much funding will be needed to complete that goal. More from The Detroit News:
According to the city, the planning will focus on assessing the stadium’s condition and developing a reuse plan.
“We’re going to respect the historic nature of the structure while adapting it for modern use,” [Hamtramck City Planner Melanie] Markowicz said.
The deadline for proposals is Aug. 18.
Markowicz said she expects the plan to serve as a tool to apply for additional grants and generate support for fundraising efforts.
“Now we need a good solid estimate for how much we need to raise,” said Gary Gilette, president of the Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium, a nonprofit that began researching the history of the stadium seven years ago.
Earlier this year, the effort to rehabilitate the ballpark was backed by a National Park Service civil rights grant.
Image courtesy Hamtramck Stadium preservation group.
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