Let’s see how our vaunted municipalities handle this one!
Beavers look to Tucson as ‘temporary home’ for start of 2011 season
By Aaron Fentress, The Oregonian
February 12, 2010, 6:38PM
The renovation of PGE Park for Major League Soccer has prompted the Portland Beavers to seek a new home stadium. With prospects uncertain in Portland, the team is considering Tucson, Ariz., as a temporary location for the start of the 2011 season. The Portland Beavers, in what ultimately might be the first step in relocating, are searching for a temporary home for the start of the 2011 Triple-A baseball season in case a new Portland-area stadium is not completed in time.
The Beavers’ current home, PGE Park, is being renovated in anticipation of the Portland Timbers’ first season of Major League Soccer in 2011. The Beavers have been unable to secure a site for a replacement stadium in or near Portland.
A report from the (Tucson) Arizona Daily Star stated that the Beavers have explored the Tucson area as “a temporary home in time for opening day in 2011.” Chris Metz, vice president of baseball operations and communications, confirmed to the Star and The Oregonian that the team was exploring other markets but would not name specific cities.
“My goal remains to keep the Beavers in Portland or the Portland-area,” Merritt Paulson, owner of the Beavers and the Timbers, said Friday in a statement, “and in the past year we’ve advanced three good, but unsuccessful, stadium financing plans to do just that. …”
Paulson was not available for comment.
Should the Beavers not get funding for a new stadium, any temporary move could logically become permanent. The Beavers will play the 2010 season at PGE Park.
Metz said the Beavers would need to find a stadium satisfying the requirements of Major League Baseball. Tucson has two: Hi Corbett Field and Tucson Electric Park.
Paulson’s statement said: “With no immediate local solution at this time, however, I have been approached by other locales with potential contingency plans for the Beavers outside the area. Given the rich history of the Beavers in Portland and the loyalty of our fans, this is not our preferred option, but one that we have no choice but to consider, given the timelines involved.”
The Portland City Council this month approved a $31 million agreement with Paulson to renovate PGE Park for the Timbers.
3 Comments
Leave a Reply
Pages
Blogroll
Misc Links
Categories
Archives
- April 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
Loading ...
I would hope that Tucsonans would come out and watch baseball in large numbers, if the Portland team were to play here in 2011.
We should treat it as an audition for the possibility of permanent relocation. This would be our last chance to bring back real (sorry, Toros and the Golden Baseball League) minor-league baseball.
If we don’t turn out in strong numbers, we would have no one but ourselves to blame, AGAIN.
Please do not come to Tucson. Tucson will not support a team especially on a temporary basis. Even if you could guarantee a permanent team, Tucson would not support it. Local government would certainly not do a thing to help this move.
Tucson City Council is enacting “Wing Attack Plan R” to stomp out any glimmer of economic windfall from this.
First, of course, will be a new “soccer tax” on RV and mobile home parks, followed by the city imposing a Certificate of Occupancy requirement…on a vacant field!
Then, of course, Rodney will tell them that they have to do rainwater harvesting. They will say “but we play outdoors” and he’ll say “yes, but you’re going to have to build a roof and tanks, you can read all about it in my new book, hey, we have something in common, you’re exploring Tucson and I’m exploring the Senate, can I have twenty bucks?”
Then the council will call their NIMBY Delta Force into action. This is a rapid response protest group specializing in emerging threats to the status quo. The NIMBY Delta Force will quickly organize a protest against soccer’s destruction of our quality of life or hooliganism or maybe even bright colors or synthetic fabrics in their uniforms. We never know what they’ll pick on but rest assured they’ll strike.
Finally, to fully demoralize them, the City Council will give a field and stadium rent-free to ANOTHER soccer team and proclaim it the sign of long-awaited progress.