'Field of dreams.' Mount Vernon cuts ribbon on newly renovated Memorial Field
What was once an eyesore is now the jewel of Mount Vernon after the newly renovated Memorial Field officially opened after a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday.
News 12 Staff
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Sep 21, 2022, 2:11 AM
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Updated 575 days ago
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276ds agoWhat was once an eyesore is now the jewel of Mount Vernon after the newly renovated Memorial Field officially opened after a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday.
Three of the city's past four mayors attended the ceremony.
As News 12 reported, the field closed in 2010 due to disrepair. Political fighting and corruption stalled the project for over a decade.
The new field will seat nearly 4,000 people and can accommodate several sports, including football, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey. There's also a new skate park.
Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard called the facility a "field of dreams," and says the loss of the community center impacted the city's youth.
"Young people are not our next, they are our now…this field is an investment on the future of the city," the mayor said.
Since the city doesn't want operational expenses to cripple the budget, it is looking to turn the facility into a money-maker and lease it out for events.
Mount Vernon School Superintendent Dr. Waveline Bennett-Conroy says the city plans to hold all three high school graduations in the city at the field this year.
Construction will be fully completed in spring 2023.
The Mount Vernon Knights football team will be the first to use the field in a game this Saturday.
