Ernie Harwell, the longtime former radio voice of the Detroit Tigers, is making a attempt to save the venerable Tiger Stadium on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. Harwell has started a “Save Tiger Stadium” movement as a last ditch effort before the stadiums planned demolition by the public-private partnership the Detroit Economic Developement Group.
The city council voted 5-4 on July 27th to allow the group to raze the structure.Â
Harwell, along with attorney S. Gary Spicer, have been given until October 1st by Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to hear ther plan before proceding with the demolition plans. The stadium which has stood since 1912, saw its last Tigers game in 1999. In 2000 Tigers owner Mike Illitch moved the team to the brand new Comerica Park.Â
Harwell, who called Tigers game for 42 years, envisions a renovated and revived Tiger Stadium as a venue for boxing, amatuer football and amatuer baseball with 10,000 to 14,000 seats bringing the capacity closer to the orginal of 23,000. Tiger Stadiums capacity was 52,416 when it closed.
“In America, we have a tendency to knock down anything that’s over 30 years old and make a parking lot out of it,” the 89-year-old Hall of Fame member said Tuesday. “Whereas in Europe, they preserve all these beautiful buildings and structures that have a history. I sort of like the European approach.”
