"On February 18, 1960, then-Los Angeles Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley finalized the purchase of land that would be used for the construction of Dodger Stadium. O'Malley paid a reported $494,000 for the property at Chavez Ravine, which was believed to be worth $92,000 at the time. The process took over a year and a half as O'Malley initially received approval from L.A. voters to purchase the land on June 3, 1958."
"When the voting was said and done, the citizens gave a 62.3% approval of the purchase. At the time, the 677,581 total votes turned out to be the largest non-presidential number of voters, with 351,683 voting in favor of Proposition B. Dodger Stadium construction officially began in 1959 and the team originally planned to open it in 1961, but landslides and lawsuits delayed the process."
"O'Malley became a part-owner of the Dodgers in 1947 and eventually secured full control nearly 30 years later. O'Malley's son, Peter, would become team owner after his father's death in 1979 and guided the organization to World Series titles in 1981 and 1988. O'Malley sold the Dodgers to Rupert Murdoch's News Corp in March 1998, ending the family's four-plus decade run with the franchise."
Walter O'Malley finalized the purchase of Chavez Ravine land on February 18, 1960, paying a reported $494,000 for property estimated at $92,000. L.A. voters approved the purchase on June 3, 1958, through a referendum and Chamber of Commerce endorsement, with 62.3% support and 351,683 votes in favor. Dodger Stadium construction began in 1959, with a planned 1961 opening delayed by landslides and lawsuits. The stadium opened April 10, 1962, hosting the Cincinnati Reds before 52,564 fans. The Dodgers had played four seasons at the L.A. Coliseum, the Angels used the stadium for three seasons, and the O'Malley family later sold the team in 1998 while preserving Dodgertown in 2016.
Read at Dodger Blue
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