The rotting outfield fence at Civic Stadium, former home of the Eugene Emeralds (short season A; Northwest League), was taken down by a volunteer group after it was deemed to be a fire hazard.
The fear was that the 12-foot fence could catch fire, as transients occasionally hide in the ballpark and start warming fires. That’s a big issue for what’s essentially a wooden ballpark, built in the depression with WPA money. The fence and the rest of the ballpark has been essentially unmaintained since the Emeralds moved to PK Park, with the school district (which owns the classic ballpark) still debating about what to do with it. The issue probably won’t be revisited until the fall: a local Save Civic Stadium has been working on a plan that would convert the facility to a soccer pitch, but the school district has been talking alternately about tearing down the ballpark and selling it to a developer. Meanwhile, the ballpark sits unmaintained, falling down a little bit at a time.
Image from Save Civic Stadium Flicker page. It was taken last fall.
RELATED STORIES: Group taking another run at saving Eugene’s Civic Stadium; Shining knight to save Civic Stadium?; Eugene: We’re not spending money on Civic Stadium; Developer: We’ll move Civic Stadium if that’s what it takes; Eugene residents: Save Civic Stadium; Another option emerges for Civic Stadium: strip mall!; 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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