Atlantic City to spend $5 million to renovate Pop Lloyd Stadium

An underutilized sports facility named after a baseball Hall of Fame member will be revamped and bring new entertainment to Atlantic City.

Atlantic City Mayor Small and other dignitaries recently celebrated the launch of a $5.6 million renovation of Pop Lloyd Stadium, located on Absecon Boulevard, which will transform the venue from a simple baseball field to a multi-purpose sports center for Atlantic City youth and the community at large.

Pop Lloyd Stadium was built in the late 1940s and named after the legendary John Henry “Pop” Lloyd. The iconic baseball player grew up in Atlantic City, played in the Negro Leagues, and later served as a player-manager for the semi-pro Atlantic City Johnson Stars until 1942.

Lloyd died in his hometown in 1964 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977. Considered by many to be the best shortstop in Negro League history, he retired with a batting average of .343.

Highlights of the upgraded stadium that bears his name include new artificial blue turf and a refurbished dugout. New locker rooms, bleachers, toilets, lighting, fencing and a scoreboard will also be installed as part of the project.

In addition to baseball, softball and T-ball, the new Pop Lloyd Stadium will be used for soccer, lacrosse, hockey and other sports. The facility will also have a pavilion, work being done by Weatherby Construction of Atlantic City.

“Pop Lloyd Stadium had fallen into disrepair, but we are restoring it to its former glory,” said Mayor Small. “My vision is to not only maintain the integrity of this historic baseball stadium, which is a part of Atlantic City’s past, but to transform it into a multi-purpose sports arena that our children and grandchildren can enjoy for decades to come.”

“It takes a village to get a project like this off the ground, and many of us from all departments of the city stepped up to ensure my vision could be realized,” Small added.

After lying abandoned since the 1990s, the stadium will be operational again in the coming months. The renovation is expected to be completed this fall, and the city plans to have full use of the new Pop Lloyd Stadium by the start of the spring sports season in 2025.

The project is being funded with $4 million from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan and an additional $1 million from 2022 Supplemental Transition Assistance. New Jersey also approved an additional $601,450 in ARP funds.