Loeb Stadium
Multi-use stadium in Lafayette, Indiana, US
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Loeb Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Columbian Park in Lafayette, Indiana, United States. It is the home field for the Lafayette Aviators, a collegiate summer baseball team in the Prospect League, and for the Jefferson High School Bronchos baseball team.[6] It was the home for Black Cat FC in the United Premier Soccer League during their 2021 season.[7] Opened in 2021, Loeb Stadium has a capacity of 2,600 people.[1]
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  Loeb Stadium Location within Indiana  Loeb Stadium Loeb Stadium (the United States) | |
 Interactive map of Loeb Stadium | |
| Address | Wallace Avenue and Main Street (Columbian Park) |
|---|---|
| Location | Lafayette, Indiana |
| Coordinates | 40°24′42″N 86°52′18″W |
| Capacity | 2,600[1] |
| Scoreboard | 24 feet tall, 43 feet wide, 1 million pixel video board[2] |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 27, 2019[3] |
| Opened | March 31, 2021[1] |
| Construction cost | $20 million[4] |
| Architect | American Structurepoint[5] |
| General contractor | Kettelhut Construction[3] |
| Tenants | |
| Lafayette Aviators (PL) 2021–present Jefferson High School Bronchos (IHSAA) 2021–present Black Cat FC (UPSL) 2021 | |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
Previous stadium
The previous Loeb Stadium, standing at the same location from 1940 to 2019, was also home to the Aviators and the Bronchos.[8][9] At the conclusion of the 2019 Prospect League season, the old stadium was closed and demolished to make way for construction of the current stadium.[4]
Construction
The $20 million project was paid for using economic development income tax (EDIT) rather than property taxes.[5] The old stadium's configuration was flipped, placing home plate in what had been center field.[4][10] The previous seating area was removed and made part of Columbian Park. New suites and outdoor group seating areas were added. The stadium's grass playing surface was replaced with a synthetic turf, allowing for additional types of events, and the playing surface was lowered by seven feet, allowing for improved sightlines from all stadium seats.[5] The seating capacity was decreased from 3,500 to 2,600.[1][5]
History
Loeb Stadium opened on March 31, 2021, with its first event being a men's baseball game between Jefferson High School and Central Catholic.[1] In the stadium's first year, the Aviators played for the league championship at home, losing to the Cape Catfish on August 12, 2021.[11] The first soccer game at Loeb Stadium was played on August 18, 2021, between the women's teams of Jefferson High School and Central Catholic.[12]