We have yet another plan for Cooper Stadium redevelopment, as the former home of the Columbus Clippers (Class AAA; International League) and Negro Leagues baseball may see new apartments, retail–and acreage sold to a next-door cemetery.
SPARC Holding LLC development firm, an affiliate of Arshot Investment Corporation, which has been working on redevelopment plans for several years now, has submitted new plans to the Columbus City Council for a redevelopment that echoes previous plans for redevelopment: retail, residential and using what remains of the ballpark’s grandstand as an event and open space. The site revamp would be anchored by a four-story, 213-unit apartment building, with the rest of the development including a parking garage and two retail buildings. The design of the parking garage is funky: two stories of parking would be topped by rec space featuring volleyball, pickleball and bocce ball courts, along with a pool and a lounge, all designed for the apartment dwellers.
As noted, about half of the grandstand has been torn down and all the seating removed in the remainder, which would be renovated for events. The old playing field would be used as an open play area/event space, while shipping containers already on the site would be repurposed as concessions areas. This is not new; the shipping containers date back to 2024.
As noted, the ballpark and its sea of parking occupy some 47 acres–certainly much more than is needed for a development of this size, even when reserving land for future development. That’s why the site may be broken up and part of the parking sold to a next-door cemetery, which is reportedly interested in expansion. Not the most glamorous way to go, but let’s face it: we’re talking unused parking lot here. And redeveloping old ballparks is a challenge. There have been some successful redevelopments, such as the conversion of Indianapolis’s Bush Stadium to housing.
The ballpark site has been unused since Huntington Park opened in 2008, with much of the grandstand ultimately demolished. Originally SPARC Holding proposed using the site as an auto testing area and racetrack, but those plans were dropped after objections from neighbors.
The original Cooper Stadium opened in 1932 and was updated several times since. Besides serving as home to the Clippers and predecessors, the ballpark was also home to the Columbus Blue Birds of the Negro National League in the first half of 1933. The team did not do well on the field or at the gate (despite the presence of Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe on the roster) and eventually ended up in Cleveland. Despite its diminished state, it’s one of the few standing ballparks to serve as full-time Negro League home ballparks.
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