Can the Rebirth of a Negro League Stadium Revive a Distressed City?

Hinchliffe Stadium, vacant since 1997, is one of the few stadiums from the Negro leagues still standing.
"PATERSON, N.J. — There used to be a ballpark here, at the corner of Maple and Liberty. Baseball royalty once rounded the bases, and city residents once packed the stands. Now defaced with graffiti, Hinchliffe Stadium looks like a blighted lot about to be razed. Weeds and trees have uprooted the bleachers, and asphalt and trash cover the infield. ... Hinchliffe, vacant since 1997, is one of the few stadiums from the Negro leagues still standing. An architectural gem and a symbol of perseverance amid racial injustice, it became a casualty of this economically distressed city’s more pressing needs. After multiple failed attempts to fund its revival, a ninth-inning save seemed unlikely. Until now. ... After Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and Doby followed three months later with the Cleveland Indians, the doors finally opened for players of color, lessening the necessity of Negro leagues. ..."
NY Times

Construction is expected to begin next year, in time for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Negro leagues.