A local band of volunteers wants to restore Eugene's Civic Stadium to what it looked like in 1938.
A local band of volunteers wants to restore Eugene's Civic Stadium to what it looked like in 1938.
The ballpark will be vacant next summer for the first time since it opened, and the Save Civic Stadium group wants to take the occasion to do some work on the former home to Pacific Coast League and Northwest League teams in the city.
The group's goals include upgrades to the clubhouses, weight rooms, expanded concessions, better bathrooms, a repair of the wood canopy over the grandstand, and the installation of more comfortable seating. The ballpark would be leased to the group by the local school district, which has backed off intentions of selling the ballpark and surrounding land to a developer.
So, let's float one scenario out here. Could we see the return of pro baseball to Civic Stadium? Yes. Here's the deal: when the Eugene Ems (short season; Northwest League) announced a move to the University of Oregon's PK Park, they signed a two-year lease with conditions attached. A long-term deal is contingent on the University of Oregon bringing the facility up to NA standards, which would require about $2 million in new spending on clubhouses and other facilities. If the University of Oregon cannot finish these upgrades, the Ems are not bound to future use of the ballpark. And let's say the Save Civic Stadium group successfully finishes its upgrades. We would not be surprised at all to see the Ems return.
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