Grand Rapids Community Hits Home Run, Raising $5 Million to Revive Historic Sullivan Field

A multimillion-dollar fundraising drive is being organized by local supporters in an attempt to revive Grand Rapids’ baseball heritage. The “Brick and Wall” campaign is the most recent effort by Valley Field supporters to return Sullivan Field to its former state, according to WOODTV. In order to pay for unforeseen remodeling expenses, such as preserving the field’s 1937 wooden grandstands, which were recently discovered to have wood rot, the group has set a $5 million fundraising target.

A brick bearing one’s name or the name of a loved one can be purchased for $150, and a $1,000 donation secures a spot on the Donor Wall. These choices provide supporters a means to help shape Sullivan Field’s future. Due to unanticipated construction expenditures, the project’s original budget of $4.2 million has been modified. With the help of regional groups including Bissell, Meijer, and the West Michigan Whitecaps, Valley Field fans have raised almost 84% of their updated target, according to WWMT.

Once the home of baseball legends like Satchel Paige and Al Kaline, the field is about to undergo renovations that will make it more than simply a ballpark. A new plaza, accessible upgrades, family-friendly facilities, and a museum highlighting Grand Rapids’ baseball past are all part of the plans. The project is anticipated to be finished by the summer of 2026, and building is anticipated to start again this winter, according to FOX 17 News.

The restoration plans were complicated by the grandstands’ state, but the city’s dedication to Sullivan Field’s heritage and community is evident in its preservation efforts. Since the field has been on the West Side since 1937, efforts to preserve and repair it are regarded as crucial to preserving a local monument. In order to respect the past and make room for future generations, the initiative intends to integrate community involvement with historic preservation.

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