Built in 1937, Valley Field was a neighborhood gem for baseball in Grand Rapids' west side, providing a place for the Negro Leagues to play during the 1940s through 60s along with the over 75 major league players who set foot on the field. Later named Sullivan Field, the ballpark has been under renovations since 2023, where grassroots organization Fans of Valley Field launched a near-$5 million capital campaign to restore the ballpark to its former glory.
Fans of Valley Field have shared an update to the capital campaign, now having achieved their goal to restore the ballpark in hopes of using the facility for community events that go beyond the love of baseball. Now that the fundraising goal has been met, organizers are now shifting their focus to routine operations.
The ballpark plans on hosting a community chili cookoff later this year, with a formal re-opening planned for 2027.
Paul Soltysiak and Jim Krzeminski from Fans of Valley Field sat down with Todd to share more about the updates to Sullivan Field and what the community can look forward to now that the fundraising goal has been met!
Visit fansofvalleyfield.org for more information.
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