Portland officials are now eying the Rose Quarter as the site of a new Portland Beavers ballpark.
Portland officials are now eying the Rose Quarter as the site of a new Portland Beavers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) ballpark. The main selling point: building a waterfront ballpark would help transform the area as a year-round destination and could provide the impetus toward the creation of an entertainment district that would include the Portland Trail Blazers and the Rose Garden.
The site, of course, makes a lot of sense for a new ballpark, as we’ve pointed out. The previous proposal to put a new ballpark in the city’s Lents district would allow the project to suck in some economic-redevelopment funds, but the site is more remote and less desirable than the Rose Quarter.
All of this may be rendered moot sooner than expected. Yesterday Major League Soccer conditionally awarded one of two expansion franchises to Ottawa, lessening Portland’s chances of landing a team. (Insiders say Miami now has a stronger shot at a team.) If there’s no MLS in Portland’s future, there will be little reason for PGE Park to be renovated for soccer.
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