DALLAS - A project aimed at saving a 1920s-era baseball field is underway in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas.
The Dallas Independent School District and several city leaders helped break ground on the $5 million effort at Reverchon Park.
The ballpark, built in the 1920s, is in disrepair and in need of renovations so it can become usable again.
The playing field will be addressed first. Then work will begin on the bullpens, batting cages, dugouts, and grandstands.
Redevelopment plans for the historic ballpark were a source of contention in the community for several years.
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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Residents sue Dallas over Reverchon Park ballpark redevelopment
Residents who live near Reverchon Park are suing the city of Dallas in the hopes of halting a redevelopment of the aging baseball stadium at the site.
In 2020, the city began moving forward with a plan to give a private company control of the renovations and bring in a minor-league baseball team. That was after a similar deal had fallen through the year before.
But concerns from neighbors halted the deal. Many were worried an entertainment venue would bring increased traffic and noise.
A group of residents sued the city for lack of transparency and argued that the way the city wanted to turn the public park over to private hands violated the law.
In 2022, Texas Rangers legend Michael Young donated $50,000 towards a new plan to restore the park for community use.
City council members agreed to a 30-year deal with Dallas ISD to jointly care for the field.
North Dallas High School will play its home games there.