NORFOLK, Va. — Next week, the city of Norfolk is celebrating three decades of the old ball game downtown.
There was picture-perfect weather for opening day this week at the place our minor-league Norfolk Tides have called home since 1993.
April 14, 1993, to be exact.
That day, there was equally nice weather and a sold-out crowd for the very first home opener at Harbor Park.
“I’m feeling great, I hope they win,” said one park attendee that day in 1993.
“Opening day, I’m ready,” said another Norfolk Tides fan. “I’ve been looking forward to it.”
12,000 fans filled the new stadium that night, and things went off without a hitch for the most part. There was, however, a minor plumbing issue when a burst pipe flooded at least one administration office.
Construction had begun the year before, and 13News Now was there for a hard hat tour months before Harbor Park opened.
It was a time of major growth in the city.
Nauticus was also under construction, and the same month it opened a year later in 1994, the city announced the MacArthur Center project.
“So as the stadium opens, so are the doors to opportunity for many residents in Hampton Roads,” said 13News Now Anchor Janet Roach in a report that aired in 1993.
Today, with a brand-new field, Harbor Park will once again usher in a new era of opportunity for Downtown Norfolk. This time, a closer neighbor, in the form of HeadWaters Resort & Casino, a $500 million project that should break ground right next door sometime in 2024.
Before Harbor Park, the Norfolk Tides called Metropolitan Memorial Park, or Met Park, home.
It was known for distracting fans and players because of its proximity to the runways at Norfolk International Airport.
