Former Stadium Sites

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Crosley Field, home to the Cincinnati Reds from 1912-1970 has Dalton Ave running through (what would have been) the middle of the outfield (from left field to the 1st base side stands). City Gospel Mission sits on what would have been the infield, while Cincinnati Public Library has administration offices takes up much of right and center field.

As for Riverfront Stadium, it is now used for 'The Banks' development (retail, offices, apartments, and the National Underground Railroad Museum)

[gonealookin]

Bay Area examples:

- the former site of Candlestick Park.  Was supposed to be redeveloped into mall/retail stuff a few years ago but that didn't happen.
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7134222,-122.3883848,953m/data=!3m1!1e3

- Kezar Stadium, former home of the 49ers before 1971.  The current stadium on the site was built in 1988 and has lower capacity than the old NFL field.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kezar+Stadium/@37.7669182,-122.4582895,953m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x80858750e814da95:0xbf7eb40373b05a10!8m2!3d37.7669182!4d-122.4561008

- the former site of Frank Youell Field, where the Oakland Raiders played from 1962-1965.  Now part of the property of Laney College
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Frank+Youell+Athletic+Field/@37.7937267,-122.259753,952m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xbc743f892fd4572f!8m2!3d37.794059!4d-122.2593625

- the former site of Seals Stadium in San Francisco, where the Giants first played after moving from New York.  Now a shopping center anchored by Safeway
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Safeway/@37.7669091,-122.4115233,953m/data=!3m3!1e3!4b1!5s0x808f7e2e3a146feb:0x7edf0a3aa2bc4c40!4m5!3m4!1s0x808f7e2fcae1adf5:0xcbc6551df69bacd9!8m2!3d37.7669091!4d-122.4093346

Add Oaks Park in Emeryville.  It's now a parking lot for employees at the adjacent Pixar Studios.  For perspective, the property across 45th Street was a bus yard when the Wikipedia photo was taken, and is still a bus yard for AC Transit now.  The Oaks usually weren't very good, but Casey Stengel managed them to a Pacific Coast League championship in 1948 before going to the Yankees the following season.

Wiki photo of Oaks Park:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oaks_Park_(stadium)#/media/File:Division_2_-_Emeryville_-_Scan_43_(12192946464)_(cropped).jpg. San Pablo Avenue being the major street running from upper right of the photo to middle center.

Google satellite image showing the parking lot just east of Pixar:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pixar+Animation+Studios/@37.8328362,-122.2861573,901m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x80857e14ca1dbca9:0xa66da79be71a9014!8m2!3d37.8328362!4d-122.2839686

[Stephane Dumas]

The former Montreal Forum, former home of the Canadiens.
https://arenadigest.com/2018/03/28/arenas-live-montreal-forum/
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4897684,-73.5839487,3a,90y,336.23h,111.13t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sh1vR4FVdPMPlx4dXRyOCrQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

The Maple Leaf Gardens, former home of the Toronto Maple Leaf
https://arenadigest.com/2018/03/07/arenas-live-maple-leaf-gardens/
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.661809,-79.3794738,3a,75y,305.01h,100.24t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sNc0BBSmK-thgCF6PCTp0hA!2e0!5s20201001T000000!7i16384!8i8192

Former site of St. Louis Arena briefly known as the "Checkerdome" in the late 1970s-early 1980s.
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.6292086,-90.2825712,3a,75y,343.38h,94.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCXkQLxOb_1tJveinZtqz9Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

[Mr_Northside]

Pittsburgh examples:

Three Rivers Stadium: The former site is currently occupied by a mixed-use development, Stage AE (an indoor/outdoor concert venue) and parking for Heinz Field.

Not directly visible from that link, but they did preserve the "Gate 'D'" marker from Three-Rivers as well.
https://goo.gl/maps/QogoDZbUzxHX7oaH8

[Stephane Dumas]

The Richfield Coliseum, south of Cleveland, now a grassland
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AERIAL_VIEW_OF_THE_COLISEUM_BUILT_NEAR_INTERSTATE_271_SOUTH_OF_CLEVELAND,_OHIO._FARMS_NEAR_THE_STRUCTURE_EVENTUALLY..._-_NARA_-_558054.jpg
https://goo.gl/maps/ju4J3Udc4oh75YQp9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2Bvwu2QI2o

[Scott5114]

The ancient edifice of the former Ballpark in Arlington, built way back in the low-def days of 1994, is still standing and has been converted to a football stadium for high school and low-attendance college games.

I wonder why this isn't done more often. Seems like instead of tearing down a perfectly good stadium because it doesn't have whatever luxury amenities the pro leagues demand for business reasons, it'd make more sense to turn it over to a college or high school team that doesn't need those luxuries. One big stadium could serve a few different high schools in the city instead of each having their own football stadium next to the actual school building.

[jeffandnicole]

The ancient edifice of the former Ballpark in Arlington, built way back in the low-def days of 1994, is still standing and has been converted to a football stadium for high school and low-attendance college games.

I wonder why this isn't done more often. Seems like instead of tearing down a perfectly good stadium because it doesn't have whatever luxury amenities the pro leagues demand for business reasons, it'd make more sense to turn it over to a college or high school team that doesn't need those luxuries. One big stadium could serve a few different high schools in the city instead of each having their own football stadium next to the actual school building.

The maintenance, security and upkeep of a former NFL stadium would be an enormous expenditure, compared to a typical HS stadium which generally consists of a track, the football field, some metal bleachers on either side of the field, and a few small buildings for equipment and a snack bar.

[The Nature Boy]

The ancient edifice of the former Ballpark in Arlington, built way back in the low-def days of 1994, is still standing and has been converted to a football stadium for high school and low-attendance college games.

I wonder why this isn't done more often. Seems like instead of tearing down a perfectly good stadium because it doesn't have whatever luxury amenities the pro leagues demand for business reasons, it'd make more sense to turn it over to a college or high school team that doesn't need those luxuries. One big stadium could serve a few different high schools in the city instead of each having their own football stadium next to the actual school building.

The maintenance, security and upkeep of a former NFL stadium would be an enormous expenditure, compared to a typical HS stadium which generally consists of a track, the football field, some metal bleachers on either side of the field, and a few small buildings for equipment and a snack bar.

I think college football (or baseball) probably makes more sense. This has been successfully done in the past. In fact, the Braves currently have two former stadiums whose sites are in use by college teams. Turner Field is being used by Georgia State and Braves Field is being used by Boston University.

There are probably other examples but I can't think of them off-hand.

[thenetwork]

The Richfield Coliseum, south of Cleveland, now a grassland
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AERIAL_VIEW_OF_THE_COLISEUM_BUILT_NEAR_INTERSTATE_271_SOUTH_OF_CLEVELAND,_OHIO._FARMS_NEAR_THE_STRUCTURE_EVENTUALLY..._-_NARA_-_558054.jpg
https://goo.gl/maps/ju4J3Udc4oh75YQp9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2Bvwu2QI2o

Interestingly, The Coliseum rose out of a field of nothingness adjacent to the then-new I-271, then about 25 years later was torn down and the land it sat on returned to its original state.

Even more interesting, despite the Coliseum being right next to a full freeway exit, there were never any retail services (Gas/Food/Lodging) that were ever built at that exit, and STILL nothing to this day, AFAIK.   

[TheStranger]

The ancient edifice of the former Ballpark in Arlington, built way back in the low-def days of 1994, is still standing and has been converted to a football stadium for high school and low-attendance college games.

I wonder why this isn't done more often. Seems like instead of tearing down a perfectly good stadium because it doesn't have whatever luxury amenities the pro leagues demand for business reasons, it'd make more sense to turn it over to a college or high school team that doesn't need those luxuries. One big stadium could serve a few different high schools in the city instead of each having their own football stadium next to the actual school building.

Kezar Stadium in SF fits that bill, going from the 49ers original home turf until 1971, to a high school-capacity stadium since 1988.  Coincidentally, the 49ers also moved to Candlestick several years after the planned I-80 Western Freeway extension through the Panhandle and towards Kezar and the interior of Golden Gate Park was canceled after intense opposition.

[gonealookin]

And now for other parts of California:

Another interesting one is Westgate Park, the home of the minor league San Diego Padres for just 10 years from 1958-1967.  It's at the southwest corner of CA 163 (US 395 at the time) and Friars Road, and is now a part of the Fashion Valley shopping center.  It could have been expanded for major league baseball and there was briefly some thought to doing that, but the voters decided to build a new multi-purpose stadium for the Chargers and major league Padres a few miles to the east.

San Diego Union-Tribune item about Westgate Park, with a photo
Google satellite imagery, approximate location

The photos I've seen of this place make it look very much ahead of its time for a minor league ballpark, more like some of the places that were built in the 1990s.

[ilpt4u]

In St Louis, the site of Sportsman's Park/Busch Stadium I is now a Boys & Girls Club and also outdoor recreation/ball fields
https://goo.gl/maps/zWkUVCvSEJ7e5iN29

[Flint1979]

The Richfield Coliseum, south of Cleveland, now a grassland
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AERIAL_VIEW_OF_THE_COLISEUM_BUILT_NEAR_INTERSTATE_271_SOUTH_OF_CLEVELAND,_OHIO._FARMS_NEAR_THE_STRUCTURE_EVENTUALLY..._-_NARA_-_558054.jpg
https://goo.gl/maps/ju4J3Udc4oh75YQp9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2Bvwu2QI2o

Interestingly, The Coliseum rose out of a field of nothingness adjacent to the then-new I-271, then about 25 years later was torn down and the land it sat on returned to its original state.

Even more interesting, despite the Coliseum being right next to a full freeway exit, there were never any retail services (Gas/Food/Lodging) that were ever built at that exit, and STILL nothing to this day, AFAIK.

I think that's pretty cool. The Richfield Coliseum was in the middle of nowhere. I've driven past the site where it was at, you'd never be able to tell it was there.

[triplemultiplex]

Oh it gets even better than that.  The former site of Richfield Coliseum is now part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park:



Not going to find another National Park in the US with not just one, but two interstate highways through it.
(Things like that can happen when you make the park decades after the highways were built.)

[Stephane Dumas]

Interestingly, The Coliseum rose out of a field of nothingness adjacent to the then-new I-271, then about 25 years later was torn down and the land it sat on returned to its original state.

Even more interesting, despite the Coliseum being right next to a full freeway exit, there were never any retail services (Gas/Food/Lodging) that were ever built at that exit, and STILL nothing to this day, AFAIK.   

I guess it didn't help then I-271 don't have a interchange with OH Tpk for those who travel east-west to the Coliseum. Would things had been different for the Richfield Coliseum if there was a interchange linking I-271 and OH Tpk? I saw a interesting blog post in French about the Richfield Coliseum. https://pucktavie.blogspot.com/2011/09/le-richfield-coliseum.html

Here more memories of the Coliseum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF8AjqbbuRE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOQ8bv4TLvg

[ethanhopkin14]

The site where God watched his favorite team play.  The Shrine, Texas Stadium:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Site+of+old+Texas+Stadium/@32.8397064,-96.9115431,495m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x864e9d0eecbdbd21:0x25ff9dfb266dd5e6!8m2!3d32.8406015!4d-96.9110897

The ancient edifice of the former Ballpark in Arlington, built way back in the low-def days of 1994, is still standing and has been converted to a football stadium for high school and low-attendance college games.

I wonder why this isn't done more often. Seems like instead of tearing down a perfectly good stadium because it doesn't have whatever luxury amenities the pro leagues demand for business reasons, it'd make more sense to turn it over to a college or high school team that doesn't need those luxuries. One big stadium could serve a few different high schools in the city instead of each having their own football stadium next to the actual school building.

Kezar Stadium in SF fits that bill, going from the 49ers original home turf until 1971, to a high school-capacity stadium since 1988.  Coincidentally, the 49ers also moved to Candlestick several years after the planned I-80 Western Freeway extension through the Panhandle and towards Kezar and the interior of Golden Gate Park was canceled after intense opposition.

So does Balboa Stadium in San Diego.  I don't see it as an upkeep of an old NFL stadium to NFL standards.  I see it as an old NFL stadium upkept to high school standards which are far more half assed. 

[NWI_Irish96]

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.7886053,-86.1873823,3a,75y,238.66h,87.64t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sw-0jPCRhNN2hRcFoH9a1rg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

This is the site of the former Bush Stadium, long time home of the AAA Indianapolis Indians. Loft apartments/condos were built on the site of and in the shape of the grandstands. The infield, scoreboard, and parts of the outfield wall remain exactly as they were when the stadium was in use.

[thenetwork]

Interestingly, The Coliseum rose out of a field of nothingness adjacent to the then-new I-271, then about 25 years later was torn down and the land it sat on returned to its original state.

Even more interesting, despite the Coliseum being right next to a full freeway exit, there were never any retail services (Gas/Food/Lodging) that were ever built at that exit, and STILL nothing to this day, AFAIK.   

I guess it didn't help then I-271 don't have a interchange with OH Tpk for those who travel east-west to the Coliseum. Would things had been different for the Richfield Coliseum if there was a interchange linking I-271 and OH Tpk?

Not really. When the Gateway Project was born in Cleveland (giving the Indians a baseball-only stadium), the city wanted to bring the Cavs back to downtown Cleveland and thus Gund Arena/The Q/Rocket Fieldhouse would be built next to Jacobs Field/Progressive Field.

The Coliseum remained for a few years after as a concert/Monster Truck venue, but there wasn't enough events (sporting or otherwise) to keep the Coliseum alive.  There was also talk about converting it to an educational  campus branch of the University of Akron and even turning it into an outlet mall. 

Despite not being the easiest arena to get to if you weren't coming from I-271, it was a great regional venue, even though there was no public transportation going directly to it and no parking alternatives if you didnt want to pay their prices to park in their minimally-maintained lot.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Interestingly, The Coliseum rose out of a field of nothingness adjacent to the then-new I-271, then about 25 years later was torn down and the land it sat on returned to its original state.

Even more interesting, despite the Coliseum being right next to a full freeway exit, there were never any retail services (Gas/Food/Lodging) that were ever built at that exit, and STILL nothing to this day, AFAIK.   

I guess it didn't help then I-271 don't have a interchange with OH Tpk for those who travel east-west to the Coliseum. Would things had been different for the Richfield Coliseum if there was a interchange linking I-271 and OH Tpk? I saw a interesting blog post in French about the Richfield Coliseum.

How would an exit with a toll road that does NOT provide direct access to either of the two largest cities in the region help the Richfield Coliseum?

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Interestingly, The Coliseum rose out of a field of nothingness adjacent to the then-new I-271, then about 25 years later was torn down and the land it sat on returned to its original state.

Even more interesting, despite the Coliseum being right next to a full freeway exit, there were never any retail services (Gas/Food/Lodging) that were ever built at that exit, and STILL nothing to this day, AFAIK.   

The irony of that situation was that there were (literally) two competing ideas for the neighborhood.
On one hand, you had Nick Mileti (then owner of the Cavs & the Indians) seeing through the Coliseum's construction, believing that its location in northern Summit County south of Cleveland near the confluence of the Ohio Turnpike and Interstates 77 and 271 was ideally suited given the growth of urban sprawl. The Coliseum was built in Richfield to draw fans from both of Northeast Ohio's major cities, as nearly five million Ohioans lived within less than an hour's drive (in good weather) from the Coliseum.
At the same time the Coliseum was being constructed, the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area (now just designated as a National Park) was being compiled and created by 1974 along the Cuyahoga River (between Cleveland & Akron). As 3MX's map of the CVNP shows, the Coliseum (site) was surrounded by the national park. With the Park Service owning many of the neighboring parcels, there was very little opportunity for development adjacent to the Coliseum.

[RobbieL2415]

The infamously SBNO (standing but not operating) Pontiac Silverdome. Former home of the Detroit Lions. Now becoming an Amazon warehouse.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6459287,-83.2545565,848m/data=!3m1!1e3

New Haven Coliseum, New Haven, CT. Hosted an AHL team and countless concerts. Demolished in 2007 and remains a parking lot.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3022395,-72.9249657,273m/data=!3m1!1e3

Memorial Stadium, Mansfield, CT. Home of the UConn football team until the end of the 02-03 season. Moved to Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford beginning with the next season. Now a basketball training center.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8050986,-72.2552216,271m/data=!3m1!1e3

Riverside Speedway, Agawam, MA. Operated at Riverside until the conclusion of the 1999 season. replaced with a DC Superheroes section of the park.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0372185,-72.6110698,453m/data=!3m1!1e3

Also SBNO, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Wilkesboro, NC. Truly the first great NASCAR track, lost its sanctioned race after the 1996 season. There have been on and off revival attempts but this one is effectively defunct.

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1425049,-81.0721287,493m/data=!3m1!1e3

[SP Cook]

A unique repurposing is the old Fairfield Stadium in Huntington, WV. 

The stadium was built in the 20s and was in a very bad neighborhood by the 60s.  A new locker room building was added in 1970.

When Marshall moved to its current stadium, on campus, the locker room complex was repurposed as the standalone Forensic Science School, and the rest was made into clinics for the med school. 

Now MU is adding more STEM buildings nearby and developing the burnt out neighborhood as a STEM corridor connected to the main campus.

[ftballfan]

The ancient edifice of the former Ballpark in Arlington, built way back in the low-def days of 1994, is still standing and has been converted to a football stadium for high school and low-attendance college games.

I wonder why this isn't done more often. Seems like instead of tearing down a perfectly good stadium because it doesn't have whatever luxury amenities the pro leagues demand for business reasons, it'd make more sense to turn it over to a college or high school team that doesn't need those luxuries. One big stadium could serve a few different high schools in the city instead of each having their own football stadium next to the actual school building.

Most large school districts in Texas only have one or two large stadiums to serve all of their high schools. Also in Arlington, UT-Arlington cut its football team back in the 1980s, yet its football stadium is still used by local high schools.

[bing101]

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2020-08-07/san-diego-mayor-approves-sale-of-former-chargers-stadium-to-university
Former Qualcomm Stadium is now being converted to become a part of San Diego State University.

https://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/2020/12/17/13-patients-being-treated-at-sleep-train-arena-as-hospitals-short-on-capacity/
Former Sleep Train arena became a COVID-19 temp hospital in response to deal with hospitals being jammed in the Sacramento area.

[ethanhopkin14]

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2020-08-07/san-diego-mayor-approves-sale-of-former-chargers-stadium-to-university
Former Qualcomm Stadium is now being converted to become a part of San Diego State University.

https://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/2020/12/17/13-patients-being-treated-at-sleep-train-arena-as-hospitals-short-on-capacity/
Former Sleep Train arena became a COVID-19 temp hospital in response to deal with hospitals being jammed in the Sacramento area.

I don't see why they couldn't downsize and renovate it for their football stadium.  What about the Holiday Bowl?