Paul E. Joseph Stadium
 | |
| Full name | Paul E. Joseph Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Frederiksted, St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands |
| Coordinates | 17°43′4″N 64°52′57″W / 17.71778°N 64.88250°W |
| Capacity | 5,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Demolished | 2015 |
| Tenants | |
| United States Virgin Islands national soccer team | |
Paul E. Joseph Stadium was a multi-use stadium in Frederiksted, St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands.
It was used mostly for soccer matches, as well as baseball and American football. It hosted some home matches for the United States Virgin Islands national soccer team.
The stadium held 5,000 spectators.[1]
History
The stadium bears the name of St. Croix legislator, editor, publisher, and civil rights activist Paul E. Joseph, who died in 1966. It was named after Joseph in 1964. The stadium also hosted the Crucian Christmas Carnival, St. Croix's and Frederiksted's largest event. On March 31, 1967 it hosted the first MLB exhibition game played in the Virgin Islands when the New York Yankees played the Boston Red Sox.[2]
Cricket
The stadium had also hosted cricket matches, playing host to a single first-class match between West Indies B and Guyana in 2003.[3] This was the first time first-class cricket had been played in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Demolition and Renovation
Demolition of Paul E. Joseph Stadium began in January 2015[4] and was stopped days later—midway through demolition—mired in politics and finance.[5][6][7] The half-demolished wreckage remains a blight on St. Croix and an economic impediment in developing both St. Croix and Frederiksted.
Because the previous administration put together plans for the renovation of the Paul E. Joseph Stadium in Frederiksted "in haste," Mapp said, he has halted the project. The current plan would build a $10 million stadium for $20 million. The administration will meet with the contractor to rewrite the contract or terminate the project if an agreement can't be reached, he said.[8]
References
- ^ "World Stadiums - Stadiums on the Virgin Islands". Archived from the original on 2014-06-05. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
- ^ "Horace Clarke – Society for American Baseball Research".
- ^ "First-Class Matches played on Paul E. Joseph Stadium, Frederiksted". CricketArchive. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- ^ "Demolition of Paul e. Joseph Stadium under way - News - Virgin Islands Daily News". virginislandsdailynews.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ "Frederiksted Sport Complex Bill Killed at DeJongh's Request". 26 June 2012.
- ^ http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/residents-protest-lack-of-progress-on-stadium-1.1728290[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Detail".
- ^ "Mapp Announces Crime Initiatives". 13 February 2015.