Hinchliffe Stadium
Project Name: Hinchliffe Stadium
Redevelopment of Paterson’s historic baseball stadium to include a new restaurant, museum, as well as additional senior affordable housing and parking to attract visitors and boost civic pride.
Primary Partner Team: BAW Development LLC | Clarke Caton Hintz Architects | City of Paterson | New Jersey Department of Community Affairs | New Jersey Economic Development Authority | New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency | RPM Development LLC
Once a bustling community centerpiece, Hinchliffe Stadium has been left vacant for more than two decades. Redevelopment plans have restored this National Historic Landmark to its former glory, and serve to spur economic growth for residents and small business owners. The historic Art Deco stadium, designed by the Olmsted Brothers, holds a significant place in the history of Black baseball. The Hinchliffe Stadium redevelopment project—the largest historic preservation project in the state—includes a rehabilitation of the stadium and the return of a minor league baseball team, a new restaurant and museum, as well as affordable housing for seniors and a parking structure. Altogether these elements will give a boost to downtown Paterson and the city as a whole.
Built in 1932, the stadium is one of the two remaining structures that hosted Negro League Baseball teams between the 1930s and the 1950s. Historic preservation, and a boost from the state to provide additional funding for significant Black history sites, were important considerations taken into account throughout the redevelopment plan to elevate this rich and important history. This project also puts the city on solid ground in redeveloping its downtown and securing its future. With the median income below $30,000, and an unemployment rate in Paterson double the national average, the project will provide valuable jobs in perpetuity at the museum, stadium, and restaurant/event venue. Numerous Paterson residents live in homes over 50 years old which can be dangerous for seniors. This redevelopment project will create new safe and affordable housing options for vulnerable populations.
The redeveloped area will provide a 7,800-seat stadium, 75 units of affordable housing, and a 12,000 sq. ft. restaurant and event space. Paterson Public Schools will use the site for events such as sports games and graduations. A minor league baseball team, the New Jersey Jackals, will move their home stadium to Hinchliffe for 2023. The new use of the stadium as an event space will expand opportunities for jobs and community presence. The project will create affordable, age-friendly housing which will alleviate financial burdens, reduce homelessness, and promote housing stability. For further reading, team members from the Hinchliffe Stadium project attended the 2023 NJ Planning and Redevelopment Conference; read about their panel here.
The Hinchliffe Stadium Redevelopment Project has captured the imagination of so many throughout NJ. This project is the result of a concerted effort to preserve an important piece of Black and local history, and produce additional project benefits for future generations. For these reasons and more, the Hinchliffe Stadium Redevelopment Project is a worthy winner of a 2023 Smart Growth Award, and should serve as a model to towns and cities throughout New Jersey who can look at preservation as a pathway to downtown revitalization.
