Hillsboro set to break ground on baseball stadium
HILLSBORO, Ore . - The city of Hillsboro is getting closer to hosting Single A baseball.
Hillsboro Mayor Jerry Willey, Short Season LLC owner Mike McMurray, team manager KL Wombacher, Northwest League President Bob Richmond and director of player development for the Arizona Diamondbacks Mike Bell will break ground on the project this Friday, the Portland Business Journal reported.
The event takes place at 11 a.m. at the site of the new stadium, the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex at 4450 N.W. 229th Ave.
The city will apply resources from a recent $3.4 million property sale to help fund the stadium and may tap other reserves as well, including issuing full faith and credit bonds. Revenue from stadium naming rights, and parking and ticket surcharges may also be applied to the cost.
City Finance Director Suzanne Linneen said the total cost is expected to be around $11 million, though it could go slightly higher.
The 4,500-seat stadium will be complete by the start of the 2013 season in June. The team — which moved from Yakima — has still not been named. It will be affiliated with Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Portland Business Journal is a news partner with KATU.com
Sounds good. I love baseball, even short A ball. I'll be there after work some Summer nights. If they have a bike rack, I'll save on parking and miss the traffic fiasco. A hot dog, a beer, a game on a warm Summer night. Sweet!
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Yay Hillsboro!Â
Nice way to spend taxpayer dollars even though everyone cries that there is no money for education, police, etc.
 @wondering Bread and circuses.
I actually looked at the numbers from this project and I'm impressed. Real planning and realistic estimates went into it (such as assuming only 40% of tickets will be sold), and it pencils out as being paid for in 9 years and being self sufficient thereafter (all maintenance costs covered).
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And if a baseball team gets the support it should get, it could well turn into a cash cow for the city of Hillsboro.
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Oh, and I've already inquired into getting season tickets. Glad I saved my money by not buying tickets to Minor League Soccer when Doofus Paulson sold the Beavers down the toilet.
A 9 year ROI is a horrible investment. I they felt the need to spend money I'm sure there was something much more worthwhile.
 @2012 Hope and Change On a public project, nine years is fabulous. A freeway extension has a 30 year ROI, for example. Most public building will never pencil out.
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And the ROI that most businesses calculate all too often has a ridiculously optimistic assumption built in to lower the ROI term. (My company handles audits, and you should see some zingers dreamed up by fortune 500 managers to get projects approved.)
To bad this wasn't a couple of years ago when Portland got rid of the Beaver's. They could have taken them not Yakima. I like the name 32jim2 said " Oregon Diamondbacks " does sound good.Â
It creates jobs and provides revenue for the city....and everyone complains, then you'll turn around and blame Obama for the lack of jobs....you people are never happy.
 @deejm2112 stadiums create low wage, seasonal, part time work. then again people just want to work right. But the KATU community will complain people working low wage jobs don't have ambition. Funny huh.
 @deejm2112 Creating jobs by issuing bonds and spending public dollars on a frivolous endeavour. This is not what government should be involved in.
 @Torino Not sure why they didn't ask Clackamas County to help pay for it. Our commissioners would have been more than happy to oblige.
 @Torino Not if it's a solid business plan and it seems to be decent.
Very cool...
as for a name how about Oregon Diamondbacks?
 @32jim2 Why? Where are Diamondback snakes in Oregon?
Cities have no business spending money on sport parks for private enterprise! what kick backs will the city officials get? what about all the future city expenses that money won't be available for? when the jail is full because of staff cuts and they turn loose the bad guys just remember you have a new private public sports park and thank your city council and mayor. when the team moves out of town because they can't get their way with the city then what?
@32jim2 I agree with you, but the jail, while in Hillsboro, is part of County government, not the city.Â
Seems like a poor use of funds for a cash strapped city such as hillsboro!
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âThe city of Hillsboro is getting closer to hosting Single A baseball.â
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Single A Baseball
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Thatâs kinda like setting a kid up to one day do something really great and â¦.
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â¦graduate high school.
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Why not build a major league park if you're going to build it and hope them come.
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At least then you could be sure to make SOME money on your investment.
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So the city will be tapping "reserves" to help pay for this. Sure hope they don't come back soon to ask for higher taxes because something else is needed more than a stadium for a (very) minor league team. Actually, I didn't think municipal governments had reserves any more.
Spend now then scream about necessary new taxes or face police cuts later. Isn't that how it works?
Hope my county taxes are not funding this...and wait it will probably come in around 20 Mil but to the government that is a slight difference from 11.