The facelift for the old Durham Athletic Park is now underway. |
The old Durham Athletic Park gained national prominence with the movie “Bull Durham,” but then fell into disrepair. On Tuesday, July 22, 2008, the old stadium got some new attention.
Even with its fading colors and peeling paint, the Durham Athletic Park is still a symbol of Americana.
“The DAP to me, and a lot of folks, is what minor league baseball was in its heyday,” said groundskeeper Bill Miller.
“Bull Durham” was shot at the location 20 years ago. Since then, the stadium has languished, losing much of its luster when the Bulls moved to the new facility more than a decade ago.
On Tuesday, construction begins on a $5 million face-lift for the park. Work starts with fencing and erosion control around the property.
When it’s finished, the old park will be a new training ground for minor league baseball. People will come to Durham to learn about how to take care of fields and how to “flip” them from festivals to ballgames.
The former home of the Durham Bulls is also getting a new state-of-the-art field and will be home to North Carolina Central University’s baseball team in 2009.
In addition to the restoration, a National Minor League Baseball Museum next to the stadium is also planned.
Thanks to WRAL-TV’s Valonda Calloway & WRAL.com’s Kelly Hinchcliffe for this capcom story & to WRAL-TV’s John Cox for this capcom photo.
