Paul E. Joseph Stadium

Paul E. Joseph Stadium

Full name	Paul E. Joseph Stadium
Location	Frederiksted, St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands
Coordinates	17°43′4″N 64°52′57″W
Capacity	5,000
Surface	Grass
Construction
Demolished	2015
Tenants
United States Virgin Islands national soccer team

Paul E. Joseph Stadium was a multi-use stadium in Frederiksted, St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands.

It was used mostly for soccer matches, as well as baseball and American football. It hosted some home matches for the United States Virgin Islands national soccer team.

The stadium held 5,000 spectators.

History

The stadium bears the name of St. Croix legislator, editor, publisher, and civil rights activist Paul E. Joseph, who died in 1966. It was named after Joseph in 1964. The stadium also hosted the Crucian Christmas Carnival, St. Croix's and Frederiksted's largest event. On March 31, 1967 it hosted the first MLB exhibition game played in the Virgin Islands when the New York Yankees played the Boston Red Sox.

Cricket

The stadium had also hosted cricket matches, playing host to a single first-class match between West Indies B and Guyana in 2003. This was the first time first-class cricket had been played in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Demolition and Renovation

Demolition of Paul E. Joseph Stadium began in January 2015 and was stopped days later—midway through demolition—mired in politics and finance. The half-demolished wreckage remains a blight on St. Croix and an economic impediment in developing both St. Croix and Frederiksted.

Because the previous administration put together plans for the renovation of the Paul E. Joseph Stadium in Frederiksted "in haste," Mapp said, he has halted the project. The current plan would build a $10 million stadium for $20 million. The administration will meet with the contractor to rewrite the contract or terminate the project if an agreement can't be reached, he said.