Tiger Stadium site to get a makeover

 

By Ryan Blevins

Detroit Tigers fans will finally see something done to the corner of Michigan and Trumbull where beloved Tiger Stadium once stood.

The 9.5 acre site that once was home to Tiger Stadium will no longer sit vacant after a deal was made to allow the Detroit Police Athletic League to build on the lot. The space is currently used as a park in Detroit’s Corktown district and will be the home of the Detroit PAL’s new headquarters and will house a state-of-the art multi-purpose sports facility.

On Feb. 2 the Detroit PAL, the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy and Detroit city officials announced sufficient funds had been raised to begin the project proposed by the Detroit PAL earlier in the year. The money was accumulated through donations as well as a $3.1 million government grant. According to the Detroit PAL it is estimated the project will cost $20 million to complete and upkeep. They have raised $12 million to date and officials project they will raise the remaining $8 million in phase two of their fundraising efforts. These funds would pay for the supplementary features such as field lights and scoreboards. The project itself will include a 20,000 square foot office building that will serve as the Detroit PAL’s headquarters as well as a baseball diamond that will hold year round outdoor athletic amenities. The playing surface will be used for mainly baseball, softball, football and soccer. There will be a separate $33 million housing and retail project being developed on the opposite side of the lot.

Former United States Senator Carl Levin helped secure the government grant for the project and says this stadium will be one kids will appreciate for many years.

“It’s a field that will inspire kids for generations to come to do the best that they can do and to aspire to be like some of the great heroes and heroines that have come before us,” said Levin.

The Detroit Tigers shut off the lights on Tiger Stadium on Sept. 27, 1999 before moving to their current home Comerica Park. As former Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell would say, Tiger Stadium is long gone. An empty shell of a stadium sat there like a house on the side of the road and was vacant for almost nine years until the City of Detroit approved the demolition that was to begin in June 2008. Even after a series of proposals to preserve the stadium from a number of financiers, demolition was completed in September 2009. City officials in Detroit did little maintenance to the area. Even though many locals would flock to the diamond to spend time on the park where they once watched their heroes play, the City of Detroit allowed garbage to pile up and the grass to grow.

Tom Derry, founder of the Navin Field Grounds Crew, decided to take action once he saw the derelict shape of this landmark.

“I went down to the field and I saw how tall the grass was and the garbage everywhere and I wasn’t that excited about playing there,” said Derry. “I thought well heck I’ve got a riding mower I can cut the grass myself. I can call my friends, I’m sure they’d want to come down and help.”

Since May 2010, Derry and his team of baseball enthusiasts have been taking care of the lot, formerly known as Navin Field once stood since May 2010. According to Derry, the city did not want their services and even threatened to arrest the group for trespassing on several occasions. Due to the efforts of the Navin Field Grounds Crew, the site has been preserved and unofficially hosts several community events and youth baseball games each year.

Many sports fans like Derry are excited to see something happen to preserve the site but questions still remain about how the project is being managed. Although the plan is to preserve as much history of the area as possible the Detroit PAL will open the facility for only 15 hours a week for public access and have decided to construct the new playing service using artificial turf. This decision to uproot to existing grass has been protested by groups such as the Navin Field Grounds Crew but to no avail.

Chief advancement officer for the Detroit PAL Russ Russell says having artificial turf will allow for more usage.

“What it provides is a playability opportunity so when it rains we can continue to play,” said Russell. “In order for us to be able to consistently play on it from a variety of sports it is necessary for us to have this kind of field.”

The use of artificial turf has upset more than just the fans. Lear Corporation has been a supporter of the Detroit PAL since 2009 but has recently pulled their $25, 000 annual sponsorship of the Paul W. Smith Golf Classic held by the Detroit PAL. Lear Corp. has cited the use of synthetic turf as the reason they pulled the sponsorship and terminated their partnership with the group. Developers, however are standing firm in their decision to use the artificial turf due to its ability to be used for multiple purposes in all weather conditions.

Officials expect to break ground on the project sometime in March and it is expected to be completed by spring 2017.