Stadium Lofts
In 1931, Perry Stadium near Indianapolis was open for baseball! Norm Perry, who funded the stadium wanted to bring baseball to center stage in Indiana. In the following years, it was home to the Triple- A Minor League Baseball team Indianapolis Indians, Negro League teams Indianapolis ABCs and Clowns as well as Continental Football League team Indianapolis Capitals.
The stadium went under several name changes during its baseball days. In 1942, it was renamed Victory Filed to support the war effort during World War II. The name was changed again in 1969 in honor of former MLB player and Indians owner Donnie Bush. The stadium got a lot of national attention in 1987 and 1988 when the stadium was used for the stand- in for Comiskey Park and Crosley Field in the 1987 movie "Eight Men Out" about the "Black Sox" scandal. In 1988, it hosted the Pan- Am Games baseball events. 1996 was the last year baseball was played at the historic venue. Halfway through the year, the Indians moved to their current downtown ballpark, Victory Field. After the Indians moved out, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George bought the stadium and converted it into a dirt track. Many features like the Wrigley Field inspired ivy walls and the manual scoreboard were ripped out. The track was named 16th Street Speedway during its run from 1997 to 2000. The stadium sat empty for several years after the speedway closed. There were talks about demolishing the stadium, but in 2010, Core Redevelopment of Indianapolis stepped in and made a proposal. The stadium would be turned into apartments! Work began in 2011 and is still in progress. Stadium lofts opened in August 2013. The Apartments are located in the former grandstands. The building has kept its integrity and originality. It still looks like a ballpark from the outside and the press box and lights still stand proudly over the field. |
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