Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium
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| Full name | Haley Toyota Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark |
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| Former names |
Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium (1995–2006) Lewis Gale Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark (2009-2017) |
| Location | 1004 Texas Street Salem, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 37°17′7″N 80°2′12″W / 37.28528°N 80.03667°WCoordinates: 37°17′7″N 80°2′12″W / 37.28528°N 80.03667°W |
| Owner | City of Salem |
| Operator | Salem Civic Center |
| Capacity | 6,300 |
| Field size |
Left Field: 325 feet (99 m) Center Field: 401 feet (122 m) Right Field: 325 feet (99 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 27, 1994 |
| Opened | August 7, 1995 |
| Construction cost | $10,100,000 ($15.9 million in 2016 dollars) |
| Architect | Kinsey Shane & Associates |
| General contractor | J.M. Turner & Company |
| Tenants | |
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Salem Red Sox (CL) (1995–present) Roanoke College (ODAC) (2002–present) ACC Tournament (2003–2004) |
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Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium (1995–2006)
Haley Toyota Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark is a minor league baseball park located in Salem, Virginia, and is part of the James E. Taliferro Sports and Entertainment Complex along with the Salem Civic Center and Salem Football Stadium, approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of downtown. Opened on August 7, 1995, it is home to the Single-A Advanced Salem Red Sox of the Carolina League (CL) and can seat 6,300 people. It was built in 1995 at a cost of $10.1 million to replace Municipal Stadium, it offers an impressive view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
In 1993, ownership of the then Salem Buccaneers were looking to sell the franchise. As the existing Municipal Stadium was not adequate to meet the needs of the franchise, Salem leaders looked at options to construct a new stadium in an effort to keep the franchise from relocating. In January 1994, Salem leaders approached both the City of Roanoke and Roanoke County in an effort to develop a regional partnership to construct a stadium. In March 1994, the Salem City Council decided a nonbinding referendum would be held later that summer to let the city residents decide if a new facility should be constructed. On July 19, Salem voters voted in favor of constructing a new ballpark with 2,236 people voting for and 398 voting against the proposal. With its citizens strongly supporting its construction, the Salem City Council voted unanimously on July 25 to approve construction of a new stadium.
In August, final designs were unveiled by Kinsey Shane & Associates, with J.M. Turner & Company selected as general contractor for construction of the $5 million ballpark. Its construction was to occur on property already under the ownership of the city adjacent to both the Salem Civic Center and Salem Football Stadium. The playing field was to be set first followed by the construction of the physical stadium with precast concrete. The facility was tentatively scheduled for completion for the start of the 1995 season. As a result of its construction, in September, ownership signed an agreement with the Colorado Rockies to serve as their Single A team beginning in 1995. The choice was made in large part based on the construction of the new stadium.
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