When Japan's abandoned Osaka stadium morphed into a model residential neighborhood with fake streets

While the concept of repurposing stadiums is not new, it is uncommon to see them replaced by a community.

In 1991, Osaka's baseball stadium was briefly transformed into a neighborhood. Osaka Stadium in Japan was home to the Nankai Hawks baseball team from 1950 to 1988, which was later remodeled into a display for new homes on the market in Osaka, Japan.

Unused Osaka Stadium repurposed into a residential complex

The original baseball stadium, which held 32,000 spectators, was the home of the Nankai Hawks until they relocated to Heiwadai Stadium. The baseball pitch was converted into the "Namba Osaka Stadium Housing Fair," a housing exhibition space, when the stadium was abandoned.

According to Amusing Planet, Fukuoka City purchased the old stadium in 1988. After that, it sat empty as a reconstruction project was planned. The Kintetsu Buffaloes temporarily moved in, and an audience of 29,000 attended the final professional game of the week.

A trade association leased the space in 1991 so that multiple construction businesses could display model homes. With fictitious streets, street lights and automobiles parked outside of residences, the entire playing stadium was converted into a miniature residential neighborhood.

The houses were placed in orderly rows with lights on to give the impression that they were occupied. The stadium was eventually destroyed, and the location is currently occupied by a shopping centre, where there once stood a stadium and a showroom.

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Stadium Lofts in Indianapolis is yet another ballpark repurposed into a residential complex

Stadium Lofts was dubbed "one of the most unique residential conversions" by real estate and investment firm Kenji Capital.

Named for Owen "Donie" Bush, historic Bush Stadium on the west side of the city hosted Pan Am Games baseball in 1987 and was a stand-in for Chicago's Comiskey Park in the movie "Eight Men Out," according to a 2013 IndyStar article. The stadium was home to the Indianapolis Indians baseball team, an AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the MLB.

The 16th Street Speedway ran there after the teams that used to play there moved to Victory Field downtown. Next, Core Redevelopment presented a creative proposal for the area that included 138 lofts and 144 apartments. 2014 saw the project's completion. At Stadium Lofts, monthly rent for a unit currently starts at roughly $1,400.