The possibility of a MLB franchise in Portland just got a bit more real.
Portland has long been a city that has been mentioned when the conversation of where MLB would go next if it were to ever expand. It has also been thrown out as a possible site for the relocation of existing franchises.
All those hypothetical situations seem a bit more real after news was broke by Maury Brown on Tuesday night.
In a series of tweets, Brown revealed that an investment group in Portland is looking at two different sites for a potential 32,000-seat stadium and mixed use complex (commercial and residential space surrounding the stadium) that could in theory have an MLB franchise as its anchor tenant.
BREAKING: Group in Portland making offers on two parcels of land that Would support a 32,000 seat MLB ballpark and mixed use development. 1/
— Maury Brown (@BizballMaury) April 17, 2018
Brown went on in the thread to further reveal that the group has been working with the design firm Populous, who has worked on other sporting entertainment projects like Kauffman Stadium with other MLB franchises. One of the potential sites is near the Moda Center, while the other is on the northwest side of Portland. Brown stated there is a possibility the stadium could feature a retractable roof.
Perhaps most importantly for Portland residents, Brown made it clear that the investors are not seeking any public funding to assist with either the purchase of the site or construction of the new facilities. In a statement that should be important to baseball fans, Brown denoted that the group has been in conversation with MLB.
Fans should not read this as meaning that expansion by MLB, or the relocation of an existing franchise, is imminent. MLB is simply engaged in these conversations as a matter of “due diligence” that always accompanies a business looking to grow its reach and revenue. Before a vote on expansion would take place or MLB’s owners would approve a relocation of a franchise, the proposal for this potential venue would have to be much more concrete than the exploration of the purchase of potential sites.
With that in mind, there has to be something positive and promising enough to motivate the investors, which includes former Nike exec Craig Cheek, to act on the opportunity. Brown specifies that the group, called the “Portland Diamond Group,” is only interested in building the facilities, not in having any ownership of an MLB franchise which would play its games in the stadium.
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Baseball in Portland on an MLB level may still be years off, if it ever does come to fruition, but the news that Brown broke on Tuesday would certainly be one of the first steps toward making that a reality if that does become the case.