Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium

Coordinates: 40°52′24″N 73°54′59″W / 40.873224°N 73.916452°W

Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium Location West 218th St. at Park Terrace West Inwood, Manhattan New York City Owner Columbia University Operator Columbia University Capacity 17,000 Surface Grass (1984–1994) AstroTurf (1995–2004) FieldTurf (2005–present) (field) Rekortan (track) Construction Broke ground 1982 Opened September 22, 1984 Construction cost $7 million[1] Architect Dattner Architects[2] Tenants Columbia Lions (NCAA) (1984–present) Baker Field (former) Full name Baker Field Location Manhattan, New York Owner Columbia University Operator Columbia University Capacity 32,000 Opened 1923 Closed 1982 Tenants Columbia Lions football (1923–1982)

Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium is a stadium in the Inwood neighborhood at the northern tip of the island of Manhattan, New York City. Part of Columbia University's Baker Athletics Complex, it is primarily used for American football, lacrosse, and track and field events. The stadium opened in 1984 and holds 17,100 people.

Baker Athletics Complex history

The Baker Athletics Complex, originally Baker Field, is Columbia's outdoor athletic complex. Previously, all outdoor teams had played on South Field, across 116th Street from Low Memorial Library, the field where Lou Gehrig played for the Lions; it is now partially covered by Butler Library.

The athletic complex is located between the corner of Broadway and West 218th Street and Spuyten Duyvil Creek – the confluence of the Harlem and Hudson rivers – in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, at the northern tip of Manhattan Island. It was purchased for the university by financier George H. Baker for $700,000 in December 1921. It was dedicated the following April, but it was not until 1923 that the team began playing there. A 32,000-seat wooden stadium was built on the site in 1928; this was in use until 1982, when it was demolished to make room for the current Wien Stadium.

The entrance to the stadium (2014)

The "New" Stadium

Wien opened on September 22, 1984 with a loss to Harvard. The first home win at the stadium came on October 8, 1988, over Princeton. The 10,500-seat southeast (home side) stands were built first; the 6,500-seat northwest stands opened two years later. The stadium is named for Lawrence Wien, class of 1925, a former trustee, philanthropist, lawyer and entrepreneur. After a $5 million donation by Robert Kraft, class of 1963, the field was named in his honor on October 13, 2007. For the first 11 seasons, Wien Stadium had grass and then AstroTurf from 1995 to 2004 but as of 2005 has since switched to FieldTurf.^[3]

Possible replacement

In April 2015, New York City FC of Major League Soccer was reported to be considering building a new stadium at the Baker Athletics Complex. The Lawrence A. Wien Stadium would be demolished and replaced by a 25,000 seat stadium to be used by both NYCFC and the Columbia Lions.^[4]

References

1. "Hinkle Takes Early Lead in Las Vegas Invitational". Philadelphia Inquirer. September 20, 1984. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
2. "Culture NOW: Museum Without Walls: Lawrence A. Wien Stadium"
3. Battista, Judy (2007-10-12). "Owner of Patriots Is Donating $5 Million to Columbia". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
4. 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. Retrieved April 28, 2015.

External links

• Columbia Athletics Facilities: Lawrence A. Wien Stadium
• Baker Field history