A third redevelopment bid for Civic Stadium, the former home of the Eugene Emeralds (short season A; Northwest League), has emerged: a developer is proposing it be torn down in favor of a strip mall, anchored by a Fred Meyer store.
The bid came in before the Tuesday deadline, presented to the Eugene School District. It comes from developer Steve Master. From the Eugene Register-Guard:
Peter Powell, a Washington-based developer of Walgreen’s outlets in Eugene and elsewhere, also would be a partner in the project, Master said.
Their development, called Civic Village, would have a 120,000-square-foot Fred Meyer store, 15,000 square feet of commercial space for other regional and local retailers and restaurateurs, an undisclosed number of apartments and a plaza.
“The whole area will take a huge step upward in livability, and the feeling of it will be very village-focused,” Master said.
Civic Stadium was a WPA-funded ballpark and served as the home to Pacific Coast League baseball for decades before shifting down to short season. It’s a historic facility; there aren’t many WPA-era ballparks left.
The local neighborhood group wants to see the ballpark remain intact. The two other bids, including one from the YMCA, called for the wooden grandstand to be demolished. The third bid would keep the grandstand and convert it to a multiuse facility.
Civic Stadium is on our list of Endangered Ballparks.
RELATED STORIES: Developers withdraw plan to renovate Civic Stadium; future of ballpark in doubt; Eugene School Board puts Civic Stadium on the market; Glickman to assist in Civic Stadium preservation effort ; Eugene debates future of historic Civic Stadium; Group proposing renovation of Civic Stadium
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