Here is why they switched from wooden grandstands to steel and concrete: Civic Stadium, former home to Class AAA and short-season A baseball in Eugene, is burning down in a two-alarm fire.
Not much is expected to survive the blaze, which caused firefighters to evacuate residents in a two-block radius of the former MiLB ballpark. The ballpark, which opened in 1936, featured a large wooden grandstand. Efforts to preserve the ballpark had been going on for years, with some recent progress on the facility being converted to a soccer center. The ballpark was originally built with WPA funds as a football stadium later converted to baseball in 1969.
Civic Stadium was home to the Eugene Ems in various incarnations until the team moved to PK Park.
Image from Save Civic Stadium Flicker page.
RELATED STORIES: Civic Stadium lives — for now; Preserve Civic Stadium, says local school board superintendent; Decision on Civic Stadium: community vs. commerce; New life for Eugene’s Civic Stadium?; 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