Friends of Duncan Park

Citizens dedicated to preserving and
revitalizing Duncan Park Stadium,

South Carolina’s oldest baseball stadium

 

www.saveduncanpark.org

 

                                                                                                                                    July 7, 2006

 

The Friends of Duncan Park began on May 23, 2005 as an e-mail list-serve to raise awareness to the general public of the condition of the stadium and to begin forming a bi-partisan citizen committee to work with the City to revitalize the 80-year old facility.

 

By June of last year, we were investigating how similar facilities in Wilson, NC and Birmingham, Al. were brought back from the brink of extinction.  By mid-June of last year the Friends of Duncan Park had about a dozen people and around 40 other e-mail addresses of those who wanted a part of seeing Duncan Park useable for future generations.

 

The Friends of Duncan Park had a website – www.saveduncanpark.org  created within a month of its formation. The website was done on a volunteer basis by Leann Dixon, who now serves as the secretary for the organization.  Also, an e-mail was established for the group – friendsofduncanpark@hotmail.com

 

On July 20, the FODP met with the mayor, city manager, assistant city manager and others.  The primary point of that meeting was to garner ideas on how to better bring events to the facility.  A plan was presented to the City about a month and a half later but was deemed “neither new, nor exciting,” however none of the ideas shown in the mock calendar have ever actually been attempted by anyone.

 

Another meeting was held with the City in November 2005 and it became clear that money was the real issue.  The City questioned putting any amount into the facility without a shift in budget to fix all the various problems.  However, any fundraising efforts were tabled at the time until a feasibility study could be completed.

 

In February 2006, McMillan Smith Partners, a local architectural firm, completed the feasibility study on the stadium.  That study came back in two phases – the first phase noted essential items that must be done in the immediate future.  The price tag on Phase one is just over $1M.  Phase two outlined more non-essential items such as repaving and landscaping the parking lot, installing all new seating, creating a café, etc. etc.  The combination of the two phases brought the total to $4.5M.

 

All this bring us to today, where the City has announced its intentions for the end of the summer.  The stadium will not be torn down, but it will merely be padlocked and left to sit.   When that announcement was made, the Friends of Duncan Park stepped into action and all of the following has occurred.

 

  • After slow growth over the first year to around 60 members, the group in less than two weeks has grown to well over 200 members with names and contact information of citizens willing to devote time to fundraising, manual labor and securing others in-kind donations for the facility.
  • The Friends of Duncan Park now has officers and a steering committee.  Lenny Mathis was voted president, Don Camby – vice president, Leann Dixon – secretary and Cindy Carter – treasurer.  Another 6 to 8 members make up the steering committee for the group.
  • Two weeks ago – June 28, over 70 people attended a meeting at the ballpark to learn more about our cause and sign up to volunteer.  The various committees (public relations, fundraising and research) are now acquiring signatures at each stadium event as and effort to continue to grow the group’s number interested in preserving the landmark.
  • In the course of these two weeks, the FODP has spoken with members of City Council – reaffirming that we wish to work in partnership with the City but are willing to do the lion’s share of the work in the immediate future to keep the facility operational without seeing it close next summer.

 

Specifically, here is what we have done and plan to do with the blessing of the City.

 

  • Our steering committee wishes to sit down with City leaders and an architect to pinpoint exactly what areas of phase one of the project must be done first to keep the facility in working order.  At this point, the FODP will speak to local, regional and national business leaders to fundraise or find in-kind donations of supplies and services to execute this plan.
  • The FODP is willing to sign the paperwork for the 501-c3.  We have in-hand the document making all pledges for the project tax-deductible and earmarked specifically for the refurbishment of Duncan Park Stadium.
  • Cindy Carter has spoken with Julie Lowry, who was instrumental in the project that transformed Cleveland Park.  We have her expertise and have already created a neighborhood survey to take around Duncan Park to education local residents about the project.
  • Pat Tate has taken on the task of researching lists of former players by contacting the MLB Players Association – letters are already being sent to those we have been able to locate.
  • Our organization has contacted the Greenville Drive about the possibility of the team playing one game at Duncan Park in the future, similar to what the Birmingham Barons do with the Rickwood Classic each year.
  • Three members of the committee will travel to Birmingham on July 22 to meet with David Brewer, the president of the Friends of Rickwood – a private citizens group which completely transformed Rickwood Field – est. 1910.
  • Initial plans are in the works for a large “reunion” style fundraiser inviting back former players for a dinner/speaker style event in Spartanburg with proceeds going toward the stadium restoration project.
  • The FODP has created a comprehensive media list to spread the word about the plight of the stadium.  This list can be used immediately to promote the stadium nationwide as a place for teams and organizations to come and use for tournaments and other contests and for bringing new money into our economy.

 

The FODP see this initially as a $1.1-$1.5M project.  We are seeking time – one more year – to show the City Council and leaders that we can make significant progress and positive change for the stadium as part of a private-public partnership.  A partnership used widely in this community to re-do youth parks all over.  To that end, we would ask that you not cancel the lease of the Spartanburg Stingers Baseball Club and allow both the Stingers and Spartanburg American Legion team to continue to use the facility.

 

Please take heed from what happened in Columbia last year when Capital City Stadium was closed for one year – it became a haven for vagrants and vandalism and it became a source of embarrassment for the City of Columbia.  Within 9 months of the stadium effectively being padlocked the City of Columbia had to address the situation by fixing damage done in that short period of time.  That stadium is now home to the Coastal Plain League’s Columbia Blowfish, a team in the same league as the Stingers, and is again alive and well.

 

Spartanburg needs more, not less, entertainment options for families.  Duncan Park has been the home of family entertainment for many generations and we are here to see that continues.

 

Again, thank you for your time.

 

 

Lenny Mathis - President

Don Camby - Vice President

Cindy Carter - Treasurer

Leann Dixon - Secretary

Russ Bradley, Jeff Kurkis, Pat Tate, Terry Haselden, Susan Pope, Scott Bryant, Jim Harbison, Travis Woods - Steering Committee

 

 

August 6, 2006

 

Update to the open letter

 

Since the City Council meeting of July 10, where a resolution passed to close Duncan Park for 2007, cancel the Spartanburg Stingers and American Legion lease, but work with the FODP to begin the revitalization process, here is what has transpired:

 

  • The list of databased names, addresses, numbers and e-mails is now nearly 1,000 strong.  Fans continue to sign our petition at every Stingers game – the final two games are tomorrow and Wednesday
  • The following is an FODP release about the trip to Birmingham, Ala.

Friends of Duncan Park take lessons from Friends of Rickwood
July 24, 2006

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Two representatives of the Friends of Duncan Park (FODP) traveled to Birmingham, Ala., this past weekend to meet with a representative from the Friends of Rickwood and the Birmingham Barons. The weekend excursion was the first in a series of in-person research studies that will be conducted by the FODP.

“We are grateful to the Friends of Rickwood for their hospitality and willingness to share information about the restoration of Rickwood Field with us. They have done an outstanding job in Birmingham and we think we can apply some of the same principles that worked well for Rickwood in our efforts with Duncan Park,” said Lenny Mathis.

Mathis, the organization’s president, was joined by steering committee member Russ Bradley on the two-day trip. The pair talked with David Brewer, Executive Director of the Friends of Rickwood.

"It is our hope that the revitalization of Rickwood Field may in some way assist other communities in their attempts to preserve and restore their own local vintage ballparks. At a minimum, the Rickwood revitalization project highlights the potential for a successful public-private preservation partnership, resulting in the ballpark's continued role as both an economic and a cultural community asset.", Brewer told the Friends of Duncan Park representatives.

"The Friends of Rickwood are, of course, honored to have a voice in the on-going ballpark revitalization dialogue, and are pleased that other cities recognize the role played by ballparks in helping to shape local community identity and civic pride, as well as recognizing the value in preserving these pieces of local social fabric and community history,"

Rickwood Field, built in 1910, was used by the local minor league affiliate, the Birmingham Barons, until 1987 when the team moved to Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. Rickwood remains a vibrant home for baseball as the host to many local recreational league baseball games, all of the Birmingham city high schools and the annual Rickwood Classic. This summer marked the 11th Rickwood Classic as the Barons hosted the Tennessee Smokies at Rickwood Field. The game features retro-style uniforms and pays tribute to a different era of Birmingham baseball each year. The stadium was also used in the filming of two movies in the last 20 years.

The FODP pair also had a sit-down talk with Jonathan Nelson, general manager of the Birmingham Barons. Nelson described the Rickwood Classic as “one of our favorite events of the summer.” Nelson also helped shed some light onto some of the challenges faced with moving a game off-site from the normal confines of the Hoover Met.

The Friends of Duncan Park will continue its efforts in the local Spartanburg community as well as work with the City of Spartanburg in a public-private partnership. The organization will have representatives on hand at all remaining Spartanburg Stingers games to field any questions or comments from other citizens.   For more information about the Friends of Duncan Park, visit the organization's website at www.saveduncanpark.org.  The Friends of Rickwood can be found online at www.rickwood.com.

  • On July 31, a letter was sent from the Executive Director of the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation to the City of Spartanburg and copied to Lenny Mathis and the South Carolina Dept. of Archives and History.  In the letter the Palmetto Trust extended their support for Duncan Park and said they would work with the City to find funding to keep the facility open
  • Two weeks ago, the FODP received its first donation…$11 from a little girl named Robi Bradham who opened a lemonade stand in her neighborhood and dropped off her proceeds at the FODP table at the ballpark.  The FODP is now officially a 501(c)(3) under the umbrella of Spartanburg Jaycees Charities, Inc.  Also, the FODP has an address:

Friends of Duncan Park

Post Office Box 8222

Spartanburg, SC  29305

  • Lastly, the FODP has yet to meet with the City since the City Council meeting of one month ago. Many key leaders have been on vacation, making a meeting difficult.