Roosevelt Stadium (former) – Union City NJ

City:
Union City, NJ

Site Type:
Parks and Recreation, Stadiums

New Deal Agencies:
Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Started:
1936

Completed:
1937

Designer:
Walther Mahnken

Site Survival:
No Longer Extant

Description

Union City, New Jersey’s old Roosevelt Stadium was constructed by the federal Works Progress Administration between 1936 and 1937. Heavily renovated and modernized during the 1990s, Roosevelt Stadium was demolished and replaced with a new high school building and a new sports facility of the same name.

“Originally the site of the Hudson County Consumers Brewery Company, the property was purchased by what is now Union City for $456,000, and turned it into a gated playground. Later, through the efforts of Director of Public Affairs Harry J. Thourot, the stadium’s construction was funded by the federal Works Progress Administration Project, which awarded the project $172,472, as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. Construction began on the stadium in 1936, with 350 men. Built in the art deco style, and modeled after the Colosseum and arenas of ancient Greece and Rome, the ribbon-cutting ceremony that opened it was held on November 25, 1937.

The stadium was bounded on the east by Summit Avenue and on the west by Kerrigan Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard (formerly Hudson Boulevard) between 24th and 26th Streets. Roosevelt Stadium stood 15 rows deep, and initially housed 7,000 people, with subsequent renovations enlarging that capacity to 11,000 and ultimately 18,000. The stadium also featured a tool house, dressing rooms, and a cafeteria.” (Wikipedia)

“Built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1937, the Art Deco style Roosevelt Stadium was designed by Walther Mahnken. It was built of stucco-sheathed bricks that came from two nearby schools that had been demolished recently. It features piercing vertical rays, winged figurines, and diamond flourishes. Along with the nearby Sears & Roebuck tower, the stadium, which was refurbished in 1985, created an Art Deco corridor in Union City.” (preservationnj.com)

Source notes

"The Dawn," a New Jersey WPA publication; September 1936 issue, page 16-17. Found at the Jersey City Public Library's New Jersey Room. https://www.preservationnj.org/site/ExpEng/index.php?/ten_most_11/archive_by_city_detail/2004/Roosevelt_Stadium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roosevelt_Stadium_%28Union_City%29

Site originally submitted by Evan Kalish on January 11, 2015.

Location Info


Kerrigan Ave.
Union City, NJ

Coordinates: 40.770190, -74.035910

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One comment on “Roosevelt Stadium (former) – Union City NJ

  1. Jack Nieto

    It’s a shame less than 70 years later politicians of today felt the need to destroy 😢 it

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One comment on “Roosevelt Stadium (former) – Union City NJ

  1. Jack Nieto

    It’s a shame less than 70 years later politicians of today felt the need to destroy 😢 it

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

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