| North Carolina A&T State University has agreed to an offer from the City of Greensboro for the transfer of Memorial Stadium to the university.
The agreement provides for the city to give N.C. A&T the stadium and $1.5 million in funding for the historic restoration of its exterior. The university will fund the rest of the necessary renovations. The agreement is subject to approval by the Board of Trustees and the Greensboro City Council. The trustees are scheduled to consider it on Friday April 17.
The facility was built in 1926 as a memorial to local soldiers who died in World War I. It has fallen into serious disrepair since Greensboro’s minor league baseball team moved to a new stadium in 2005. It is still the home field for the A&T baseball team.
“War Memorial Stadium is an important part of A&T's past – for several years, fans gathered there to enjoy Aggie football, until Aggie Stadium opened in 1981,” Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. wrote in a letter this week accepting the city’s offer.
“Significant renovations to the stadium will allow it to continue to be home to our baseball team and provide the university with an additional venue to serve students, alumni and the community to reach future generations.”
The $1.5 million from the city will fund the restoration of the arches at the front of the historic structure, said Andrew M. Perkins Jr., associate vice chancellor for facilities.
“When we look at all of our engineering studies, there’s about 4 (million) to 6 million dollars additional required to get all of the backlogged maintenance and repair projects that need to be done,” Perkins said.
He said the work would be conducted in phases over a period of up to six years. Grant funding will be sought for as much of the cost as possible.
Martin said the transfer will assure the preservation of the stadium as a memorial.
“A&T's partnership with the City will preserve the legacy of War Memorial Stadium and marks a significant time in the university's history,” he wrote. “The stadium's ties to the memory of the Guilford County residents who died in World War I correlate with A&T's longstanding commitment to the men and women in the armed forces. In 2015, the university serves more than 600 veterans and their families.” |
