The remains of a historic ballpark are about to be demolished, as plans are place to clear what is left of Eugene’s Civic Stadium.
Civic Stadium had a remarkable history. Opening as a Works Progress Administration project in 1938, Civic Stadium continually hosted Minor League Baseball from 1969-2009. When the Eugene Emeralds (Short Season A; Northwest League) departed after the 2009 season, Civic Stadium became a source of debate, as some advocated for preserving the facility.
The ballpark met a sad and abrupt ending in June 2015, when a fire brought about significant damage. As evidenced by the photo above–which was taken by our own Mark Cryan shortly after the fire–little was left of Civic Stadium. Now Civic Stadium’s owner–the Eugene Civic Alliance— ismoving forward with plans to tear down a few buildings that remain from the facility, and work relating to the demolition could begin this month. Plans are in place to develop the site into a youth sports complex, but that concept has not been finalized. More from The Register-Guard:
The demolition won’t immediately pave the way for construction of sports fields or the Kidsports fieldhouse the group hopes to build on the 10-acre site, alliance project manager Carol Knapel said.
The group is in the middle of an estimated $15 million to $20 million fundraising effort to develop the site into a 2,500-seat stadium, artificial turf field and the fieldhouse, with room for multiple indoor sports courts.
But before any of that work can start, the alliance will knock down four buildings on the site that date back to the property’s ownership by the Eugene School District, according to the demolition permit: a 4,180-square-foot bus and parking office, a 7,723-square-foot service building, a 2,381-square-foot structure called an “upholstery building” in permit records, and a small shed.
The fire prompted a tribute from the Emeralds last summer, as the team wore limited edition Civic Stadium jerseys for a game on August 16. Proceeds from the sale of the jerseys benefited the Eugene Civic Alliance.
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