'This Is An Amazing Day,' Mount Vernon's Memorial Field Is Reborn

MOUNT VERNON, NY — It was an emotional day in Mount Vernon, in ways that are seen at a ribbon-cutting, but on this bright, late summer morning, the official opening of Memorial Field was a long time coming and it represented much more than just the opening of a sports facility to those gathered.

For most of recent history, the decaying stadium represented failure and loss, not just to occasional shoppers at the nearby Target and Best Buy, but for those who saw a daily reminder of what was and what could be after years of challenges in one of Westchester County's most vibrant cities.

That all changed today.

Westchester County Executive, and Mount Vernon High School alum, George Latimer told the crowd that anything he said to try to explain the momentousness of the occasion would seem like a "cliché" — and maybe he was right. Memorial Field is iconic for reasons that are easy to grasp, even for an outsider.

James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, Buddy Rich, Jose Feliciano and even The Jackson 5 performed at the legendary venue. The field has hosted car shows, a circus performance and a rodeo. The larger-than-life reputation of the facility only grew when crews, tasked with restoring the stadium, found a Model-T Ford and a 300-foot-long circus tent buried under the field while excavating.

Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard joked that they would not be taking any chances with the newly restored turf, and that circuses, car shows and rodeos would be off-limits for the immaculate new facility.

The famous "Mean" Joe Greene Coca-Cola commercial, that led an entire generation to believe that a certain soft drink could bring a smile to even one of the most intense on-field sports heroes of the time, was filmed at Memorial Field. With that 30-second Super Bowl ad, Memorial Field in Mount Vernon touched sports fans around the world who may never have visited New York's ninth largest city in person.

For those who grew up in Mount Vernon, Memorial Field is special in ways that have withstood the test of time and weathered the disappointment of failed attempts to restore the field to its former glory.

Mayor Patterson-Howard, a normally staid and polished public speaker, beamed as she talked in personal terms about what the reopening of Memorial Field means to those who love Mount Vernon. She noted that she set MVHS records running on the track, marched with the band during the halftime of football games, saw Michael Jackson take the stage and graduated at a ceremony held at Memorial Field.

"This is an amazing day," Patterson-Howard said. "This is where we come together. Where we celebrate arts. Where we celebrate academics. Where we celebrate the culture and where we celebrate the incredible and the undeniable persistence overcoming and resilient spirit of Mount Vernon."

The new stadium is equipped with 3,900 seats, a lighted field equipped for football, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey, an 8-lane track, a sound system capable of handling major concerts or events, three tennis courts and a skate park.

Westchester County will be co-managing Memorial Field until the final touches are complete.

On Saturday afternoon, the new Memorial Field will host its first Mount Vernon Knights football game since 2007.

SEE ALSO:

• County, City Move Forward On Memorial Field
• Memorial Field Clean-Up Progresses
• Work Resumes at Memorial Field
• Mount Vernon OKs Contract To Clean Up Memorial Field
• Westchester OKs takeover of botched Memorial Field project
• Mayor Meets With P Diddy About Memorial Field