Portland Diamond Project (MLB) | Proposed

[BrG]

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...ncart_breaking



...(continues)

That would super cool if it happened. I wonder how hard John Stanton will lobby against it.

Ive always thought NFL football would be much easier to function in Portland as it only needs to fill a stadium 8 times a year for regular season home games, and sell ads and tv packages for the 16 total. Verses baseball that needs to attempt that 10 times over.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by BrG

That would super cool if it happened. I wonder how hard John Stanton will lobby against it.

Ive always thought NFL football would be much easier to function in Portland as it only needs to fill a stadium 8 times a year for regular season home games, and sell ads and tv packages for the 16 total. Verses baseball that needs to attempt that 10 times over.

The difference is baseball uses its stadium over a longer period of time than football. So baseball can also have more value tickets to attract people to the games similar to what happens with NBA, which we have no problem filling the Moda Center for every Blazers home game.

[Pavlov's Dog]

I'm not a big baseball fan but I like that they're only looking at building a ballpark that seats 32,000. The North Portland site seems a lot better to me since access is much easier without having to find money to build a new streetcar up to Montgomery Park.

[PdX Farr]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

The difference is baseball uses its stadium over a longer period of time than football. So baseball can also have more value tickets to attract people to the games similar to what happens with NBA, which we have no problem filling the Moda Center for every Blazers home game.

Exactly this. NFL games are only 10 times a year (don't forget the 2 pre-season games) and that is only 10 days of the year that a primary tenant is using the facility and drawing a crowd.

Baseball has 81 home games and even if not sold out, average attendance would be similar to a blazers or timbers game. Thats money also spent in and around the stadium on food, drinks and merchandise 81 times a year versus 10. Also, that size of venue could attract bigger events that simply won't even look at Portland currently from concerts to motocross to big time international soccer, etc.

I know people think baseball is a dying sport and to the average sports fan in the country, interest may not be there, but baseball is a regional sport. It is big in the cities/areas that have teams minus a couple markets. Oakland and TB come to mind

Just look outside today and tell me if there was a MLB game in town that you wouldn't enjoy it? This would be a win win for the city, especially if its virtually privately financed and adds 8000 housing units. It will totally reinvent the neighborhood for the better where it ends up. Just take a look at the example from San Diego here:
https://twitter.com/boomskie/status/...567114752?s=21

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by PdX Farr

Exactly this. NFL games are only 10 times a year (don't forget the 2 pre-season games) and that is only 10 days of the year that a primary tenant is using the facility and drawing a crowd.

Baseball has 81 home games and even if not sold out, average attendance would be similar to a blazers or timbers game. Thats money also spent in and around the stadium on food, drinks and merchandise 81 times a year versus 10. Also, that size of venue could attract bigger events that simply won't even look at Portland currently from concerts to motocross to big time international soccer, etc.

I know people think baseball is a dying sport and to the average sports fan in the country, interest may not be there, but baseball is a regional sport. It is big in the cities/areas that have teams minus a couple markets. Oakland and TB come to mind

Just look outside today and tell me if there was a MLB game in town that you wouldn't enjoy it? This would be a win win for the city, especially if its virtually privately financed and adds 8000 housing units. It will totally reinvent the neighborhood for the better where it ends up. Just take a look at the example from San Diego here:
https://twitter.com/boomskie/status/...567114752?s=21

Another thing to keep in mind is the 8000 units they would want to develop with it would basically be like building 30 Civic Buildings in a district around the stadium. That would be a huge development for the city, especially with the inclusionary rule.

Hearing about what has been going on with the A's, I really think that is the top chance for a team with this group making a stadium offer and putting together an investors group. My guess is the A's owner is going to be putting the team up for sale with option to move, Portland being a west coast city would keep the A's on the west coast, plus add another team to the northwest would be a good deal. Also, they would be able to keep the team in Oakland until a stadium was built up here.

My only hope is if it is the A's we get, I kind of want the name to stay in Oakland. If they ever get a team again, they can have the A's name back. I would rather any team move here be called the Portland Beavers.

[PdX Farr]

As to the name A's, I feel the same about a new name but I think they would be inclined to keep the name. The franchise moved from Philly to KC then to Oakland and kept the name.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by PdX Farr

As to the name A's, I feel the same about a new name but I think they would be inclined to keep the name. The franchise moved from Philly to KC then to Oakland and kept the name.

That was a long time ago, I would be more in favor of the A's name staying in Oakland.

[maccoinnich]

Portland Public Schools Throws a Curveball at Baseball Stadium Plan, Seeking Other Bids on Its Property

Investors had offered PPS $80 million, well below the property’s value, but also floated a land swap.

Portland Public Schools issued a response tonight to the investors seeking to purchase the school system's Lloyd District headquarters for $80 million and turn the site into a baseball stadium.

The answer? PPS wants to see if it can get a better offer.

In a letter to the Portland Diamond Project tonight, PPS Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero says the district will hold a competitive bidding process for the site.

"The Board of Education and district administration are committed to any proposed real estate transaction delivering a maximum return on the BESC property to support our mission," Guerrero writes.

That announcement throws a curveball at plans by the Portland Diamond Project—investors led by a former Nike executive and a former Trail Blazers play-by-play announcer, among others—to turn purchase the Lloyd District site for a Major League Baseball stadium.

...continues at the Willamette Week.

[maccoinnich]

Baseball group not vexed by bidding competition on schools site

The group looking to bring Major League Baseball to Portland said it welcomes the chance to compete for one of its most-coveted potential stadium sites.

The Portland Diamond Project gave its assent in a brief statement after a letter that Portland Public Schools Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero sent to another bidder came to light Friday. The letter confirmed that PPS will begin a process to take bids for the Blanchard Education Service Center, at 501 N. Dixon St.

The Portland baseball group has placed bids on that and one other site as it looks to site a big-league stadium.

...continues at the Portland Business Journal.

[urbanlife]

It makes sense for PPS to open it up to see what offers they get before taking this one, I just don't see anyone else giving them more money and helping them buy another site, and move them.

[PdX Farr]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I read the offer that was given to PPS for the site and it stated they will pay $80 million or the appraised property value, which ever is higher.

In addition to offering the Banfield property as well, the offer stated they would also provide any other upgrades needed to that building including any new structures as well as continued financial support for future PPS projects such as new ball parks and what not.

I don't know how PPS's can turn that offer down. Its basically $80 mil in the pocket and all moving expenses paid. They need that money badly.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by PdX Farr

I don't know how PPS's can turn that offer down. Its basically $80 mil in the pocket and all moving expenses paid. They need that money badly.

I'd guess they're testing the water to see if they can get the offer bumped up a bit - and it may prove unwise. Time will tell.

[Pdxguy]

Originally Posted by PdX Farr

Correct me if I am wrong, but I read the offer that was given to PPS for the site and it stated they will pay $80 million or the appraised property value, which ever is higher.

In addition to offering the Banfield property as well, the offer stated they would also provide any other upgrades needed to that building including any new structures as well as continued financial support for future PPS projects such as new ball parks and what not.

I don't know how PPS's can turn that offer down. Its basically $80 mil in the pocket and all moving expenses paid. They need that money badly.

They'll take the offer. I bet they are super pumped they even got an offer that good. At this point they are probably just doing their due dilligence in seeing if anybody else can beat that offer. Ultimately they cant turn that down

[cab]

They better hope the next recession doesn't kick in as they fumble around. That price could drop drastically.

[Mr. Walch]

I think it would be illegal for a public body to take a random offer with out putting it up to bid. As it should be. In this case the random bid seems like the good bid, but in other cases it could be the sweetheart deal for a donor or some other type of corrupt situation.

[eric cantona]

Originally Posted by Mr. Walch

I think it would be illegal for a public body to take a random offer with out putting it up to bid. As it should be. In this case the random bid seems like the good bid, but in other cases it could be the sweetheart deal for a donor or some other type of corrupt situation.

True. Also - the ESCO site would require rezoning as I understand it. Absolutely no guarantees that would be successful.

[PdX Farr]

Originally Posted by eric cantona

True. Also - the ESCO site would require rezoning as I understand it. Absolutely no guarantees that would be successful.

Wouldn't the PPS site require rezoning as well or is it tied into the rose quarter for entertainment and residential?

[eric cantona]

Originally Posted by PdX Farr

Wouldn't the PPS site require rezoning as well or is it tied into the rose quarter for entertainment and residential?

Very true, but the NW site is in a hotly contested industrial sanctuary. I would think that rezoning for the Blanchard site would be a walk in the park compared to the ESCO site.

Curious what others think.

[urbanlife]

Sounds like the earliest Portland would see a team would be 2022, but it sounds like MLB really wants one of the four potential teams to be in Portland, so that is good news.

[Nunya]

The Oregonian has renderings apparently purloined from TVA's offices.

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...2box_targeted_

Not a big fan, I was hoping for a more traditional Camden Yards or Saefco field look. To me baseball has a certain Architectural feel to it and this isn't it. This feels more like a Soccer or Olympic stadium. Don't get me wrong, I'd be over the moon if we get this, just being an old baseball fogey. I'll be interested to see if I'm in the majority or minority on this one. Surprised there is no Safeco style retractable roof option either.