A study has put the price tag for Medford to build a Minor League Baseball stadium on the site of Hawthorne Park at more than $75 million — if the city moves fast. Councilors shared concerns over the large cost and tight timeline to bring the Eugene Emeralds to the Rogue Valley.
Medford City Council discussed the plan, developed by KNO Construction, at a study session on Wednesday night. City staff said the $75 million cost is likely an underestimate, with the true cost closer to $90 million.
Although Harry and David Field was included in the study as a potential stadium location, the Emeralds owner said his team would only be satisfied at the site of Hawthorne Park. But the team offered to contribute something to construction.
“We're willing to put $10 million into the ballpark if we can get it on a quick timeline and we can get an agreement in place that makes sense for both parties,” Emeralds’ owner DG Elmore said.
The stadium would be owned by the city, with the Emeralds leasing the facility for an undecided amount.
Elmore would like the stadium to open by April of 2029. That would likely require city council to move forward with the plan at next week’s meeting. The city was first approached by the Emeralds about the potential relocation to Medford in the spring of last year.
“What appears to me is the city of Medford taking a bulk of this, and it's still a very expensive project,” Medford Mayor Michael Zarosinski said. “It's going to really suck up a lot of resources that could be used in other places.”
Council Nick Cards shared concerns over the short timeline.
“I think we need the opportunity to talk to the state and see if the state is willing to participate in this kind of a project, see if we can find other community partners who want to participate,” he said.
Councilor John Quinn said the stadium would divert resources from a potential conference center.
“You don't want to start with something that puts you in a hole of debt that will never generate property tax, and hope that it generates revenue in other ways,” Quinn said.
He also doubted the study’s breakdown of potential parking spaces for the 3,000-seat stadium.
“Those parking spaces are not real,” Quinn said. “They're already reserved and they're being used by other people.”
The meeting attracted around 40 members of the public, including organizers collecting signatures to protect the downtown park.
“We're here because we don't want it at Hawthorne Park,” said Miriam Grayer with Citizens for Hawthorne Park. “It's the only [park] in walking distance of those downtown residents.”
Although multiple councilors spoke out against the plan, Grayer said she’s not optimistic about Wednesday’s vote. She said Citizens for Hawthorne Park will be at the city council meeting on Nov. 18 to share their concerns.
