Cooper Stadium
Columbus, Ohio
03/30/25
“They said this was the second best stadium in the minor leagues…” So what happened to this beloved stadium?
It’s the early 1930s and the Columbus Red Birds are looking for a home. So, using the blueprints from the sister site in Rochester, NY, the Red Birds Stadium opened in '31. And they called it home till 1954, when the Columbus Jets took residence, in the process rebranding to the Jets Stadium. The Jets hung around till 1970, before relocating, leaving the stadium unused.
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After 6 years, the International League granted Columbus a new franchise, pushing the city to purchase and renovate the stadium for their new team, The Columbus Clippers. To celebrate Harold Cooper, the man who formerly brought the Jets to Columbus, in 1984, the stadium was rebranded as the Cooper Stadium. With the additions of astro-turf, which would be removed in '97. The Clippers continued their tenure at the stadium till September 1, 2008 when 16,770 fans packed the seats, to celebrate their final match in the Cooper Stadium. Only to be defeated by the Toledo Mud Hens.
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As the Clippers concluded their time with Cooper, preparations for the stadium’s future use commenced. Spring brought plans to convert the stadium into a racetrack. Which sounds out of the blue, but the south parking lot had been used for the Sports Car Club of America, Autocross racing, and even a bit of motorcycle training. The city even went as far as to approve the rezoning of the site on June 27, 2011. Progress was looking smooth when the city sold the site to Arshot Investment in 2012. By April of 2014, the first base side of the stadium was razed to give way to the straightaway. Yet that never happened.
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Instead, the city council would approve rezoning the lot AGAIN for mixed use buildings, apartments, and an amphitheater in October of 2023. Less than a year later, Lion Construction Services submitted plans to raze the site for ¼ of a million, this included everything but the primary stadium, which today is surrounded by shipping containers. Currently it sits dormant, except for the lingering memories that keep it alive and well, just like was, 90 years ago.
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REFERENCES
“Baseball Ball.” Sketchfab, created by 3dartstevenz, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, skfb.ly/oDXZn.
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“Cooper Stadium.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooper_Stadium.
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“Cooper Stadium Demolition: More of Clippers’ Former Home Could Be Razed.” NBC4 Columbus, www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus/cooper-stadium-demolition-more-of-clippers-former-home-could-be-razed/
“Cooper Stadium Redevelopment Approved by Columbus.” Ballpark Digest, 10 Oct. 2023, ballparkdigest.com/2023/10/10/cooper-stadium-redevelopment-approved-by-columbus/
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“Developer Could Turn Cooper Stadium Into Racetrack.” 10TV, www.10tv.com/article/news/developer-could-turn-cooper-stadium-racetrack/530-aad8d4b1-d605-4676-ab96-0e1910d10520
“Historic Columbus Landmark Facing Demolition.” 614now, 2024, 614now.com/2024/culture/historic-columbus-landmark-facing-demolition-apartments-retail-amphitheater-proposed.
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“Neighbors Hope New Cooper Stadium Plan Is a Homerun.” NBC4 Columbus, www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus/neighbors-hope-new-cooper-stadium-plan-is-a-homerun/
“Photos: Cooper Stadium Through the Years.” The Columbus Dispatch, 23 Mar. 2022, www.dispatch.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2022/03/23/photos-columbus-cooper-stadium-through-years/7064510001/
The Clio entry on Cooper Stadium, theclio.com/entry/23177.
“Structures: Cooper Stadium.” Ohio Exploration Society, www.ohioexploration.com/structures/cooperstadium/
“Alive TV: Cooper Stadium's last season
.” YouTube, uploaded by Columbus Alive, www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RVUNW0Br_M
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“Take Me Out To The Ballgame
.” YouTube, uploaded by Columbus Clippers, www.youtube.com/watch?v=oljrCJ122yU
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“Harold Cooper Throws the Last "First Pitch" In Cooper Stadium.” YouTube, uploaded by Columbus Clippers, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vNJFM7Riuw
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“One last night at "The Coop".” YouTube, uploaded by ksnedy18, www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwpeO0b8I9s
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“Apartments, retail proposed for abandoned Cooper Stadium.” YouTube, uploaded by NBC4 Columbus, www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2jYczXeAVs
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“Apartments, retail proposed for abandoned Cooper Stadium.” YouTube, uploaded by NBC4 Columbus, www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx04Ag3w0BM
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“Council President Supports Racetrack Developer.” YouTube, uploaded by NBC4 Columbus, www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRUpgPZaxW4\
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“Final out at Cooper Stadium - September 1, 2008.” YouTube, uploaded by osusport2, www.youtube.com/watch?v=z44UAN1eRi4
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“Dad talks about re-opening Cooper Stadium.” YouTube, uploaded by powermadrecluse, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxvo_YKUrVk
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“Columbus Clippers: Empty Stadium.” YouTube, uploaded by Stun Productions, www.youtube.com/watch?v=67kF2AwcRo0
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“Raw video: Demolition of Cooper Stadium.” YouTube, uploaded by The Columbus Dispatch, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhy0g9gNKt0
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“Shipping containers surround Cooper Stadium.” YouTube, uploaded by The Columbus Dispatch, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yld6X_Ohglk
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Columbus Red Birds. Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Red_Birds.
