A $1 million New Jersey urban parks grant has been awarded to a Hinchliffe Stadium renovation project, bringing some funding to a plan to revive the historic facility.
Located in Paterson, Hinchliffe Stadium opened in 1932 and hosted the New York Black Yankees and New York Cubans along the way, but it closed in 1997 and has since fallen into a state of decline. A renovation effort gathered momentum over much of last year, as local officials and developers moved forward with plans to bring the historic ballpark back into working condition for amateur sports as part of a larger $76-million development project that will include a 270-space parking garage, 65-unit senior citizen apartment building that includes a child care center, and a restaurant.
The urban parks grant was approved by the state legislature, before New Jersey governor Phil Murphy signed off on the funding on January 21. While the New Jersey Economic Development Authority has not officially signed off on a separate request for $50 million in tax credits that is key to the effort, the $1 million grant still brings some support to the plan. More from the Paterson Press:
[Paterson Mayor Andre] Sayegh is banking on getting the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s approval to use $50 million in economic redevelopment tax credits for the Hinchliffe project. The developers submitted an application for the tax credits at the end last June, but the state agency has not made its decision.
Paterson officials said on Friday that the state is waiting for the developers to secure the other funding for the Hinchliffe project before authorizing the tax credits.
Restoration efforts are notable in that Hinchliffe Stadium is one of the few Negro Leagues ballparks that remains standing.
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