Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium,officially known asRobert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium at Baker Athletics Complex,[3]is a stadium in theInwoodneighborhood at the northern tip of the island ofManhattan,New York City.Part ofColumbia University's Baker Athletics Complex, it is primarily used forAmerican football,lacrosse,andtrack and fieldevents. The stadium opened in 1984 and holds 17,100 people.
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| Former names | Baker Field (1923–1982) |
|---|---|
| Location | West 218th St. at Park Terrace West Inwood, Manhattan New York City |
| Coordinates | 40°52′24″N73°54′59″W/ 40.873224°N 73.916452°W |
| Public transit | New York City Subway: at215th Street atInwood–207th StreetColumbia Transportation:Bakers Field Shuttle |
| Owner | Columbia University |
| Operator | Columbia University |
| Capacity | 32,000 (1928–1982) 10,500 (1984–1985) 17,000 (1986–present) |
| Surface | Grass (1923–1994) AstroTurf(1995–2004) FieldTurf(2005–present) (field) Rekortan (track) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1921 |
| Opened | 1923 |
| Construction cost | $7 million (1984)[1] |
| Architect | Dattner Architects[2] |
| Tenants | |
| Columbia Lions(NCAA) (1984–present) | |
The stadium is about 200 feet from theSpuyten Duyvil Creekbanks. Seats have views of theHudson River,Henry Hudson Bridge,andBroadway Bridge.The location at 218th Street is more than 5 miles north of Columbia's main campus at 116th Street.
History
editUntil the 1920s, Columbia's outdoor athletic teams played on South Field, across116th StreetfromLow Memorial Library,a site now partially covered byButler Library.
In December 1921, financierGeorge Fisher Bakerpurchased a new site for the university's athletics complex for $700,000. The site is at the corner of Broadway, West 218th Street, andSpuyten Duyvil Creek.
Originally namedBaker Field,the facility was dedicated the following April, and the football team began playing there in 1923. It was eventually renamed Baker Athletics Complex. A 32,000-seat wooden stadium was built on the site in 1928; it was in use until 1982 when it was demolished to make room for the current Wien Stadium.
Wien Stadium
editThe stadium is named afterLawrence Wien,class of 1925, a former trustee, philanthropist, lawyer, and entrepreneur. The 10,500-seat southeast (home side) stands were built first; the 6,500-seat northwest stands opened two years later. For the first 11 seasons, Wien Stadium had grass; it would switch toAstroTurfin 1995 and toFieldTurfin 2005.[4] Wien opened on September 22, 1984, with a game that ended in a loss toHarvard.Columbia did not win a game at home until October 8, 1988, overPrinceton.Columbia was amid a 44-game losing streak from 1983 to 1988, the longest in NCAA records at the time.[5]In1983while the stadium was being built the Lions played 7 road games and 3 games in the New York City area (2 atGiants Stadiumand one atHofstra Stadium).
The field was named forRobert Kraft,class of 1963, on October 13, 2007, after he gave the school $5 million.
In April 2015,New York City FCofMajor League Soccerbriefly considered buildingnew stadiumat the Baker Athletics Complex. The Stadium was to be demolished and replaced by a 25,000-seat stadium to be used by NYCFC and the Columbia Lions.[6]In 2024 the soccer team began construction of its new $780 million facility atWillets Point, Queenswithout involving Columbia.[7]
Use as COVID field hospital
editIn early 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic,NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Centerturned Robert K. Kraft Field andColumbia Soccer Stadiuminto a 288-bed field hospital. The idea went from proposal to reality in a week.[8][9]The field hospital was named for Ryan F. Larkin (1987–2017), a decoratedU.S. Navy SEALwho served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kate Kemplin, head nurse of the operation, described Larkin as "exactly the kind of person who would have set up a tent to treat patients if he were alive today."[10]The care center was staffed primarily with former U.S. military personnel and NewYork-Presbyterian's frontline staff.[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Hinkle Takes Early Lead in Las Vegas Invitational".Philadelphia Inquirer.September 20, 1984.Retrieved15 July2013.
- ^"Museum Without Walls: Lawrence A. Wien Stadium".Culture NOW.Archived fromthe originalon April 25, 2012.
- ^Black, Alan."College Football: A Look at Ivy League Football Stadiums".Bleacher Report.Bleacher Report, Inc.Retrieved8 April2012.
- ^Battista, Judy (2007-10-12)."Owner of Patriots Is Donating $5 Million to Columbia".The New York Times.Retrieved2009-09-05.
- ^"Columbia University Libraries Online Exhibitions | Roar, Lion, Roar: A Celebration of Columbia Football".exhibitions.library.columbia.edu.
- ^Bagli, Charles V.; Das, Andrew (April 28, 2015)."New York City F.C., Searching for Stadium Site, Is Considering Columbia Athletic Complex".The New York Times.RetrievedApril 28,2015.
- ^O’Brien, Shane (July 16, 2024)."Developers to break ground on MLS stadium in Willets Point early fall – QNS".qns.com.
- ^Barone, Vincent (2020-04-10)."Columbia University converting soccer stadium into coronavirus field hospital".New York Post.Retrieved2020-04-16.
- ^Postmaster (2020-04-11)."The Baker BunkerBaker, el búnker".Manhattan Times News.Retrieved2020-04-16.
- ^ab"Mobilizing to Treat COVID-19 Patients: A Field Hospital is Born".NewYork-Presbyterian.2020-04-13.Retrieved2020-04-16.
External links
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