Hinchliffe Stadium won't open on Sunday as planned — as costs continue to rise

PATERSON — Sunday’s reopening of Hinchliffe Stadium has been postponed because the artificial turf field isn’t finished, a setback that comes as officials confirmed the cost of the project has increased once again.

The five high school baseball games that were supposed to happen at Hinchliffe as part of Sunday’s Johnny Briggs Classic have been moved to William Paterson University, officials said.

Meanwhile, Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration this week announced its plans to pump another $2 million into the Hinchliffe project, money from the federal coronavirus relief program that will be used for the museum-like exhibition space at the historic ballpark.

Just four months ago, the Murphy administration provided an extra $8 million to cover Hincliffe’s rising costs.

City officials said the price tag for the project, which includes an apartment building and parking garage, is now expected to reach $105 million, and could grow higher depending on the work being done at the food court and exhibition building. At $105 million, the work would exceed by 11.7% the 2021 cost projections of $94 million. Early last year, city officials were talking about Hinchliffe reopening by November 2022.

“It’s a good project, unfortunately it’s expensive,” said Paterson economic development director Michael Powell. “This work should get us to the finish line.”

Mayor Andre Sayegh has touted the rehabilitation of Hinchliffe as one of the cornerstones of his plan to revitalize Paterson, predicting the reopening of the stadium for high school and New Jersey Jackals minor league baseball games would draw visitors to the city.

The Jackals had been selling tickets for the Briggs Classic high school games into this week, but decided to relocate the event on Wednesday, four days before it was supposed to take place, Sayegh said.

Earlier: Will rebuilt Hinchliffe Stadium be ready for Johnny Briggs Classic on Sunday?

"We are incredibly disappointed we were not able to host the Johnny Briggs Classic at Hinchliffe Stadium,” said one of the developers, Baye Adofo-Wilson. “I know the community was looking forward to it, and as a Patersonian and alumni of Passaic County Technical Institute, I was as well.”

Paterson Press learned on Monday during a tour provided by the mayor that the turf for the running track circling the ballfield had not yet been installed.

“Due to unfavorable weather conditions, we were unable to complete installation of the track, which is very significant to Hinchliffe's history,” Adofo-Wilson said in a written statement. “We're hopeful that in the next week the warm weather will allow us to finish painting and let the track dry. We ask for the community's patience at this time, and look forward to celebrating the opening of this historic ballpark with everyone soon!"

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Councilwoman Lilisa Mimms said delays are sometimes unavoidable in large-scale construction jobs.

“This is what happens when it comes to projects,” Mimms said. “It’s better to be safe than sorry. You don’t want kids playing on a field that’s not ready.”

Hinchliffe was designated a national landmark for its role in the segregated Negro baseball leagues, but it has been closed since the late 1990s after it fell into disrepair. The Paterson school district owns Hinchliffe and has leased the property to the developers.

“In construction, things happen, but it’s unfortunate because a lot of people in Paterson have been anticipating these games,” said school board member Eddie Gonzalez. “It’s unfortunate that they’ve been advertising and promoting this event without being fully prepared and on schedule.”

As a result of the Briggs Classic changes, the first game scheduled for Hinchliffe will be the New Jersey Jackals’ home opener on May 20. Gonzalez said he thought it was important for the first Hinchliffe game to involve Paterson youths considering the place the stadium hold in city residents’ hearts and memories.

“The school district’s motto is, ‘We put our kids first,’” Gonzalez said. “We will see if that stands true.”

Sayegh is scrambling to salvage a true hometown opener for Hinchliffe. The mayor said he is trying to schedule a game at the stadium featuring Paterson-based girls softball teams. Sayegh said he hopes to call the contest “The Mayor’s Classic” and make it an annual tradition in the city.

Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press. Email: editor@patersonpress.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Hinchliffe Stadium opening in Paterson NJ delayed for costs