CLEVELAND — "Something magical always happens at the ballpark," remarked Bob Zimmer, the President and Founder of the Baseball Heritage Museum, as he reflects on League Park. "There's just a lot of terrific energy that has been here since day one."
Day one dates back to 1891 at the corner of Lexington Ave and East 66th in Hough. First, a wooden structure rebuilt by 1910 with sturdier concrete and steel.
League Park is considered home to Cleveland Professional Baseball.
You will also find the Baseball Heritage Museum here, filled with artifacts, telling the story of the game.
"And its impact not just on the game of baseball, but its impact on our communities," said Zimmer.
A multi-million dollar renovation by the city of Cleveland in 2014 transformed League Park into what we see today.
"It was to be an iconic sort of cornerstone for continued growth for the neighborhood," said Zimmer.
Growth soon seen right across the street with construction of a new three-building development, after vacant buildings are demolished.
"After those come down, we'll begin our site preparations and hopefully have WKYC back in mid to late 2024 for the ribbon cutting," said Courtney Eaton, the President of M7 Ventures.
The community has a voice in the transformation. The partnership heading the $5.5 million project is talking with neighborhood organizations to make Hough the future of Cleveland.
Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in an unrelated story on April 6, 2023.
"They want development. They want new buildings, they want business in the area, but they want it in a way that they can participate in," said Cassandra Manna, an attorney of Brennan Manna & Diamond LLC, like featuring local artists and having a say in what businesses move in.
Currently M7 Ventures Head Quarters and community space for the Baseball Museum are planned.
"We are going to have a place where our collections room can really flourish. We are going to have indoor batting cages," said Zimmer.
"This development is monumental, not just for baseball fans who are eager to preserve the important history here at League Park, but also because it's going to serve as a community gathering space and be an economic development powerhouse," stated Eaton.
It has already attracted a new company to Northeast Ohio. Super Green Solutions will have its midwest headquarters here.
"It will provide property owners with the ability to convert to clean energy solutions. So, think solar panels, electric vehicle chargers, things like that," said Eaton.
Landscaping will tie the new buildings into the neighborhood and future development.
"We have planned our buildings to blend in with and be part of the greater development along East 66," said Manna.
No professional teams play at the park, but high school teams like Kirtland and Villa Angela St. Joseph battle it out on a field deeply rooted in baseball history.
"Our hope is that lots of young people will get interested in baseball again. We'll see a lot more games out on the field," said Zimmer.
“Families coming and gathering in this neighborhood will just create this amazing sense of vibrancy and neighborhood and community here," said Eaton.
"I mean, how cool would it be to play where Babe Ruth is 500th home run? That is an awesome experience, and that history of the sport is here in Cleveland," said Manna.
The Manna family has a true love of baseball. They helped bring the Akron Astros, now the RubberDucks, to Akron. They hope that the excitement around Canal Park will happen around League Park.