Janet Good’s East Lawrence neighborhood is colorful in its history, diversity and is home to several artists.

That’s why she’s not convinced Municipal Stadium, a city landmark at 11th and Delaware streets, is properly decorated to fit its surroundings.

“You look at it and it’s big and it’s beige,” she said. “Beige is not an East Lawrence color.”

It won’t be beige much longer if the neighbors’ plans pan out.

Good and others involved with the East Lawrence Neighborhood Assn. have begun planning a project to adorn about 1,500 square feet of stadium facade with a mural telling the history of the neighborhood.

“The stadium is such a perfect spot for a mural,” Good said. “It’s such a beautiful structure.”

Planning for the project began in March, but the idea of a mural on the side of the stadium, in Hobbs Park, has been around for years. Previous attempts for a mural were never completed.

The stadium was built in 1947, and more than 30,000 spectators attended 55 games during the first season there. Teams playing at the stadium included the Lawrence Colts and other semiprofessional teams. Occasionally, Negro Leagues teams, including the Kansas City Monarchs, competed there.

Now, the stadium is used mostly for city league softball games.

Janet Good, an East Lawrence resident, stands on the steps of Municipal Stadium, 11th and Delaware streets, by the future site of a mural that will show the history of the East Lawrence neighborhood. Work for the mural will begin in September.

East Lawrence residents have been meeting to decide what should be included in the mural. Good said possible subjects included early abolitionist newspaper publisher John Speer, whose homestead was near the stadium; poet Langston Hughes, who spent part of his childhood in East Lawrence; canneries, which provided employment to many in the neighborhood; the nearby World War II German POW camp; and John Brown, who kept lookout near the site for attacking Missourians during the Wakarusa War of 1856.

Good said she hoped the mural would not capture both the history and spirit of the neighborhood.

“It has a small-town feeling in an urban neighborhood, with a great mix of people,” she said. “That’s the feeling we want to capture.”

Muralist Dave Loewenstein has signed on to lead a group of local artists in the design and execution of the mural.

He said he hoped the design would be completed by the end of July so it could be forwarded to the Lawrence Arts Commission and Lawrence Parks and Recreation for their approval. Painting would begin in September.

The group also is looking to raise about $13,000 to cover the cost of supplies and to pay those who do the painting.

The end result, Loewenstein said, should be a mural that will make the community proud.

“The process for creating the artwork is almost as important as the product,” he said. “It’s a community-based project, but it will be of the highest quality.”