Historic Fort Worth baseball site LaGrave Field to be demolished
FORT WORTH — The Tarrant Regional Water District Board of Directors voted Tuesday to demolish the historic LaGrave baseball field.
LaGrave Field used to be home to the Fort Worth Cats minor league baseball team. The 4,100-seat stadium hasn't hosted a game since 2014.
"The decision made today is centered on prioritizing public health and safety," said Leah King, the Tarrant Regional Water District's Board President. "The deteriorating condition of LaGrave Field presents significant safety hazards and incurs ongoing maintenance costs funded by public resources."
A press release on the decision further states that "some site elements of LaGrave Field are expected to be preserved to honor the rich history of baseball in Fort Worth."
In 2019, the Tarrant Regional Water District gained control of the property located in downtown Fort Worth. A third-party company was hired and later removed from efforts to refurbish the stadium.
The Tarrant Regional Water District reports spending $200,000 a year, since the contract termination in 2020, to maintain the site.
Real estate and economic development advising company HR&A Advisors submitted a comprehensive report of the property earlier this year saying, "LaGrave Field has been vacant since 2014, and while some stakeholders desire a return of baseball, there is skepticism about the ability to attract a financially sustainable professional sports use for year-round activation."
"While this marks the end of an era for the current stadium, it leaves open the possibility for future developments, be it baseball or other sports and community projects, that will benefit our city and its residents," said King.
The Tarrant Regional Water District said it will continue to receive public feedback and comments regarding LaGrave Field via its online contact form.
Originally opened in 1926, the stadium hosted the Cats of the Texas League for several years before the Texas Rangers came to town. The Rangers featured the field in a promotional video as part of the campaign for the team's City Connect uniforms that debuted in April 2023.
LaGrave's left field is bordered by the Trinity Trail, where bicyclists, runners and even kids trying to catch a foul ball could be seen sitting at the top of the trail during games. When a Cats player would score, a bell that was located in the original stadium rang out to let everyone nearby know.
