Hinchliffe Stadium will be receiving some restoration work, as officials participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the project on Tuesday.
The historic Paterson, NJ facility opened in 1932, hosting the New York Black Yankees and New York Cubans along the way, which makes it one of the few Negro Leagues ballparks that remains standing. Hinchliffe Stadium was used for decades, but was closed in 1997 and has since fallen into a state of decline.
There has been a push to rehabilitate the facility, and that effort is taking a positive step. Beginning after Labor Day, Hinchliffe Stadium will receive numerous repairs, with the project affecting areas such as the facade along Liberty Street. Additionally, the project is expected to result in the restoration of four ticket booths and the replacement of a few features–including gates and terracotta tiles.
This is being billed as phase one of Hinchliffe Stadium’s restoration, as officials are hoping that more work will take place down the road to restore the ballpark to working order for events, but the project is still being touted as a positive step for the facility. More from NorthJersey.com:
“This is a first step in the right direction,” said Brian LoPinto, a co-founder of Friends of Hinchliffe Stadium. LoPinto was among the officials on hand during Tuesday’s ceremony.
Slated to cost $1.5 million, the first phase is part of a more ambitious plan to save the 9,500-seat stadium that will cost between $30 million and $35 million, LoPinto said.
Phase I funds come from a $300,000 grant from the American Express Foundation, a $500,000 matching New Jersey Historic Trust grant and $30,000 from the 1772 Foundation. Paterson has bonded for the remainder of the funds.
Hinchliffe once hosted the Negro League’s Black Yankees and New York Cubans. It is best known as the place where the “Silk City Slugger” Larry Doby began his career. In all some 20 future Hall of Famers played at Hinchliffe.
The work in phase one of the restoration is expected to cost $1.5 million, and is likely to take about a year to complete.
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