Portland Diamond Project (MLB) | Proposed

[PhillyPDX]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

This tax wouldn't have anything to do with this because it won't exist without a team and stadium and it won't come from the general taxpayers.

This is the logical fallacy. It could be extended to any firm or person. Wells Fargo would not exist here if we don't reduce their taxes (if Portland offered). Welp, they are leaving. But for a tax incentive, they leave. You could offer them to pay no taxes, which is effectively net zero like a stadium. But that's a FAR cry from them being here AND paying into state coffers like everyone else does.

Sure it's net zero, but it's literally the same concept. Rich owners just pay back loan instead of paying into state coffers to support the state budget.

Can I get a loan to redo my kitchen and then pay back that instead of my taxes? With the current school situation lots of folks are on edge, and data say many are leaving.

Now, this all being said, state subsidies, which this very much is, could be warranted, just as it's sometime warranted for businesses. I'd love a baseball team. But don't fool yourself, this is a subsidy.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by PhillyPDX

This is the logical fallacy. It could be extended to any firm or person. Wells Fargo would not exist here if we don't reduce their taxes (if Portland offered). Welp, they are leaving. But for a tax incentive, they leave. You could offer them to pay no taxes, which is effectively net zero like a stadium. But that's a FAR cry from them being here AND paying into state coffers like everyone else does.

Sure it's net zero, but it's literally the same concept. Rich owners just pay back loan instead of paying into state coffers to support the state budget.

Can I get a loan to redo my kitchen and then pay back that instead of my taxes? With the current school situation lots of folks are on edge, and data say many are leaving.

Now, this all being said, state subsidies, which this very much is, could be warranted, just as it's sometime warranted for businesses. I'd love a baseball team. But don't fool yourself, this is a subsidy.

It's as much of a subsidy as an urban renewal district is a subsidy. So in that case, I am okay with subsidies when they are self containing like this.

And for an example, it is more like taking a loan on your mortgage to renovate your kitchen. Sure, you will have to pay for it but the bank is helping you get it done now.

[PhillyPDX]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

It's as much of a subsidy as an urban renewal district is a subsidy. So in that case, I am okay with subsidies when they are self containing like this.

And for an example, it is more like taking a loan on your mortgage to renovate your kitchen. Sure, you will have to pay for it but the bank is helping you get it done now.

Except the loan is from the government, and the repayment negates your taxes owed. So more like the federal mortgage subsidy pre-Trump, which heavily subsidized expensive housing in high tax states. And IF that subsidy was also against the principal payment, not just the interest.

I get that it's a subsidy, I don't like they are trying to play smoke and mirrors in the press and pretend it's not. It's as much a subsidy as another city paying for a stadium but not reducing taxes, which is maybe the more common case. It's the same result though. I assume it's because they know Oregonians might be against a subsidy whereas other states are readily ok with a public subsidy for a stadium (Utah), so they are actively playing the PR game to get backing.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by PhillyPDX

Except the loan is from the government, and the repayment negates your taxes owed. So more like the federal mortgage subsidy pre-Trump, which heavily subsidized expensive housing in high tax states. And IF that subsidy was also against the principal payment, not just the interest.

I get that it's a subsidy, I don't like they are trying to play smoke and mirrors in the press and pretend it's not. It's as much a subsidy as another city paying for a stadium but not reducing taxes, which is maybe the more common case. It's the same result though. I assume it's because they know Oregonians might be against a subsidy whereas other states are readily ok with a public subsidy for a stadium (Utah), so they are actively playing the PR game to get backing.

It's just a metaphor.

[maccoinnich]

Here's the video of the presentation to the Senate Committee On Finance and Revenue on Monday, which gets into a lot of the questions being asked above.

[maccoinnich]

Oregon Senate votes overwhelmingly for $800 million ‘jock tax’ to fund major league ballpark



State senators from both parties rallied Thursday to back an $800 million “jock tax” to help finance a prospective stadium for Major League Baseball on Portland’s South Waterfront.

“This is a moment for us to come together and unite around an idea,” said Sen. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles. Bonham, the Senate Republican leader, said baseball could help Portland rebound from a series of problems that has slowed its recovery from the pandemic.

“It will be a showcase of what is beautiful, central, core to our constituents of Portland,” Bonham said.

Senate Bill 110 passed the Senate 24-5 and now moves to the Oregon House. Gov. Tina Kotek has already signaled her support.

...continues at the Oregonian.

[urbanlife]

This is great news, Portland moving closer to securing what is needed to get an expansion team

[PhillyPDX]

Passed the corporate handout.

https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2025...uestions-unaddressed.html?outputType=amp

So this is desperate-city casino level of thinking by the politicos:

“The stadium is the economic and cultural shot in the arm that Portland needs to swing out of the doom loop,” said Rep. Daniel Nguyễn, D-Dunthorpe.

Seeing as the as yet to be announced expansion is rumored to be playing in 2031…man, I really hope we have better and quicker ideas to break the doom loop than having to wait 6 years for for a team to start playing.

[downtownpdx]

^ Yeah while it’s an exciting project, that’s a pretty sad, all-eggs-in-one-basket statement. Attracting housing and business to downtown, public safety, daily foot- traffic-driving developments like the public market… these seem to me more “cultural shot in the arm Portland needs.”

[mhays]

While stadium subsidies rarely make sense from a purely economic standpoint, you could argue that it's a huge sign of a city on the rise as soon as the announcement happens. And it's a big construction project starting in 2028. And maybe a boost to local hotels in 2031+.

I wouldn't mind having a regional rival.

[PhillyPDX]

Originally Posted by mhays

While stadium subsidies rarely make sense from a purely economic standpoint, you could argue that it's a huge sign of a city on the rise as soon as the announcement happens. And it's a big construction project starting in 2028. And maybe a boost to local hotels in 2031+.

I wouldn't mind having a regional rival.

And it seems like they might not even announce expansion teams until 2028. We are talking YEARS down the road, likely even for an announcement, let alone construction start and actual game play. Crap, my baseball loving/playing kid will be in town for maybe one year before heading to college at that point. He's 10 now...

And this is even before the recent chaos around TB. For a long time the (un)official talk of expansion was notably set to be after resolving the Oakland and TB stadium issues. Oakland is moving to LV, and TB had a stadium deal in the works, thus setting the stage for expansion talks. Now, with the late March shocking news that TB will NOT advance the much needed new stadium as promised, what does that do to the overall timeline? Now there are threats of TB leaving TB altogether now (Orlando?). Surely if Oak/TB stadiums affected expansion talks before, will it again affect that timeline?

[babs]

Originally Posted by PhillyPDX

And it seems like they might not even announce expansion teams until 2028. We are talking YEARS down the road, likely even for an announcement, let alone construction start and actual game play. Crap, my baseball loving/playing kid will be in town for maybe one year before heading to college at that point. He's 10 now...

And this is even before the recent chaos around TB. For a long time the (un)official talk of expansion was notably set to be after resolving the Oakland and TB stadium issues. Oakland is moving to LV, and TB had a stadium deal in the works, thus setting the stage for expansion talks. Now, with the late March shocking news that TB will NOT advance the much needed new stadium as promised, what does that do to the overall timeline? Now there are threats of TB leaving TB altogether now (Orlando?). Surely if Oak/TB stadiums affected expansion talks before, will it again affect that timeline?

Tampa should move to Charlotte or Nashville. Both want teams and can get a stadium done. Then they can move on to expansion. Our major competitors appears to be Salt Lake City. SLC is a smaller market with more sports competition. No clue what the final criteria will be for choosing a market. It would if an owner would emerge for the Portland team and help advocate for it.

[PhillyPDX]

Originally Posted by babs

Tampa should move to Charlotte or Nashville. Both want teams and can get a stadium done. Then they can move on to expansion. Our major competitors appears to be Salt Lake City. SLC is a smaller market with more sports competition. No clue what the final criteria will be for choosing a market. It would if an owner would emerge for the Portland team and help advocate for it.

This whole process it seems to be expansion cities separate from Oakland/TB cities. Hence why Oakland going to LV actually helped pdx.

I did see recently that Austin is getting a mlb push going as well, likely trying to get in on the pdx/slc side. And with a state population of 32M and booming, seems supporting 3 mlb teams isn’t a stretch. Dark horse at this point, but a big time one if they can get act together.

[urbanlife]

This is fantastic news and a step closer to a MLB team being a reality for Portland

[uncommon.name]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

This is fantastic news and a step closer to a MLB team being a reality for Portland

I hope we land a team. My son is super excited and nothing beats America's pastime on gameday. This would be amazing for Portland in so many ways.

[Derek]

Oregon governor signs bill authorizing $800 million for Portland baseball stadium

https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2025...ource=redditsocial&utm_campaign=redditor

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed a bill Thursday that would authorize up to $800 million to help finance a Major League Baseball stadium in Southwest Portland. The bill would divert income taxes from a team’s players and some employees to pay off bonds over 30 years.

Senate Bill 110 is the first step — first inning, if you will — in a long campaign that might someday bring Major League Baseball to Oregon’s largest city.

[urbanlife]

This is fantastic news! This should definitely put Portland as a front runner for an expansion team