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As far as transit, you have the Portland Max Orange line and multiple Portland Streetcar lines, all converging in the vicinity and connecting vast parts of the city and the South Waterfront Tram terminal transiting from Marquam Hill. People could park across the river or near any significant transit center, ride the train, and alleviate traffic congestion.
@@Ironcabbit Great point. The city is trying to find ways to develop that OMSI area on the other side of the bridge. Running a shuttle from there to Zidell Yards would be great for new venues on the east side of the river.
One thing to consider is that the Ross Island Bridge is super old and due for replacement due to seismic concerns. Additionally, the other bridge in the picture, Tilikum Crossing, is a mass-transit and pedestrian/cyclist bridge only, so the stadium would quite literally have an integrated transit center built-in, with no modifications.
@@JosePlata Jose, please don't say fugg. It is super offensive. If you change the u to a, the g to r, and the other g to t, then you have the word fart which is so totally profane.
@@JosePlataany stadium is going to be chaos on game day but having it near a major interstate and multiple bridges could be helpful. Especially being next to the tillikum crossing which like someone said, is a public transit and pedestrian only bridge. There is a lot more room for parking on the east side of the river so it would make that side of things way easier. Also having it near downtown and public transit in general should spread out some of the congestion when compared to putting it way out in the suburbs. Could even do a boat park and ride in theory!
Ross Island bridge is elevated, you can walk right under so park on one side and entertainment district on the other side is no problem, in fact the bridge has to be replaced anyway due to quake concerns. FYI it is pronounced "Will lamb it", Willamette.
Brodie, in the video, you keep saying Lloyd Center is downtown. It's really not. It's actually about a mile east of the river opposite of downtown. The Lloyd Center spot was more spacious than you indicated, especially when you factor in park space nearby. That would have been a great spot for an sports entertainment district, given It's proximity to Moda Center. That being said, I love the riverfront spot even more! Its proximity to Portland's newest Public transportation bridge The Tilikum is amazing. I pass this lot over the bridge every day on the way to work. As a displaced A's fan living in Portland, I'd be foaming at the mouth to work for a Portland baseball team!
totally agree, "The Battered Bastards of Baseball" is an excellent documentary and a wonderful story. But just a small correction, it was owned by Kurt's father, Bing Russell. Maybe Kurt could step in and run the show in this hypothetical future, lol.
If I could change anything in the MLB, I’d probably undo the 93 and 98 expansions… I don’t know why MLB expanded into the states where Spring Training is held
Oregon and SW Washington are so starved for anything major other than the poor Blazers, fans would be hanging from the rafters. This seems the most access friendly site in downtown ever discussed. I just moved down to South of Eugene and I will buy some kind of weekend game package in a heartbeat. If they got a relocated team they could still use "civic stadium" as a temp home, I have talked to one of the architects who drew up the plans for it as a temp home years ago and its not a super expensive monumental deal to set that up as a 2-3 year temp home. If soccer people complain they can sit and spin on a Louisville Slugger, I am still bitter at those jerks pushing the Beavers out.
As a local Portlander I’m excited but keeping my expectations tempered. The site is very good bc it falls in line with our public transit line (MAX) as well as being right next to i-5 so getting there will be easy. The problem with PDP is they are very secretive so no one knows where funding is coming from (outside of Russell Wilson appearing at a few events) and they’ve teased so many sites in the past. I can tell you that baseball will do very well in this city! The Trail Blazers and Timbers are some of the best supported teams in their leagues. Our High-A baseball team, Hillsboro Hops, just broke ground on a new stadium in hopes of gaining Double A status. Our summer wooden bat team, Portland Pickles, consistently sell out games and have a huge social media presence. Finally, the city threw a parade when we were awarded a WNBA team just earlier this month. This city is starved for sports and we’re sick of Seattle being the only representative for the Pacific NW. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this actually happens 🤞🏼
Craig Cheek is the founder and main front man. A big money silcone valley whale was mentioned being behind the PDP maybe....its the owners of the thorns/wnba teams. The Allens dont rule over PDX anymore like they did for decades.
A baseball team would be in competition with the Timbers and Thorns. Both teams draw fans from the area. How many people will drive in from Lake Oswego on a Tuesday, park far away from the stadium and take the MAX so they can step over people ODing on fentanyl to watch a baseball game?
6:54 I’m not sure what the parking situation will look like. But the cool thing is that the MAXrail blue, red, orange and green lines all run adjacent to the site and there’s a couple already existing stops in that area since it’s near the OHSU campus (Oregon Health & Sciences University, our main state hospital complex, who has their own publicly used gondola). So I really love it from that perspective. Also, you were so close on your first attempt at pronouncing Willamette 😂. It’s WILL-AM-IT. Anyway, great vid as always and appreciate you bringing this project to light nationally. Who knows what will happen going forward or if it will be a relocated team that ends up here 👀
That location would have some of the best transit connections for any stadium in the MLB, up there with Wrigley and Yankee Stadium. 3 streetcar lines (2 are part of the loop) and one light rail. Would be super fun to ride the amtrak cascades down for Mariners games
This is the best idea for an MLB park location in Portland so far. Would definitely reinforce the south waterfront in a big way. I would love to see this happen.
I walk by 🎉this site all the time and have thought for years this would be the best site in town for a ballpark. The park would be north of the Ross Island Bridge. Super exciting!🤞🤞🤞
Brodie to echo the other commenters, the Ross Island bridge is HIGH over the site, not much of an impediment to movement between the 2 halves. Tillikum Crossing (the bridge on the northern edge of the site) has stations for the extensive light rail system, the streetcar that serves the central city, and the bus rapid transit line the serves the souther part of the other side of the river. Road access and parking are already concerns and would have to be addressed. And to address your speculation, the park would undoubtedly face east, with spectacular views of Mt Hood (google it) from the upper decks. Instantly one of the most iconic views in all of baseball.
A's fan living in Portland. Brodie, when you say the unwritten expectation is for public financing, how much of that do you think is earmarked for infrastructure improvements? The bridge right behind Ross Island is the Tilikum crossing bridge. This bridge does not carry private cars, it is 100% dedicated to public transit. Both the Max (light rail line) and Tri Met bus service carry passengers across the bridge. There are also bike and pedestrian lanes in both directions. I could see this serving as a huge source of getting people to the ballpark. Portland does not prioritize parking structures, and I don't see one getting built. I don't see voters ponying up public funds for a ballpark. As far as I can tell, the Diamond Project appears able to privately finance the construction of the ballpark. Maybe Portland doesn't need public financing given that we have already made the necessary infrastructure investments around Zidell?
PDP, has virtually zero dollars to finance acquisition of a team- let alone build a stadium. Go to their website - just four people officially involved: hucksters Cheek and Barrett and Russ and Ciara at like five mil. There's ZERO suggestion from any reporting source that PDP has a sugar daddy (mommy?) lined up. Not even lead local cheerleader Canzano has been able to dredge up a name. It's all smoke and mirrors, as it has been from Day One.
Its a excellent site albeit a bit of a squeeze for the stadium part unless they remove the Ross Island Bridge that has to be replaced anyway. Good room South of the bridge for other stuff associated with park. This group has tons of money and the state approved partial financing based on tax revenue many years ago. Portland is either number one or two as far as TV market for cities in the country with only one of the big four sports teams, Portland's market size is bigger than Salt Lake City #22 vs #27 I believe and SLC now has two major sports franchises NBA and NHL vs Portland's one NBA and Portland is larger, that seems a win for Portland.
The Oregonian (local newspaper) ran an excellent infographic with 11 major ballparks superimposed on the half of the site north of the Ross Island Bridge - all fit nicely. The Petco Park footprint was almost exactly the same. As I said in a different comment, with the Interstate Bridge and the Burnside Bridge both nearing replacement, it'll be years before the Ross Island gets its turn, and you can only close 1 bridge across the Willamette at a time. Also 3 other Willamette Bridges are older than the Ross Island, and loss of the Steel Bridge would be more catastrophic than losing the Ross Island. The Steel Bridge should be next.
I like the thought naming the Portland ballpark something similar to Orioles Ballpark at Camden Yards.. You know, (Team Name) Ballpark at Zidell Yards!
I've lived in Orrgon for 23 years. But, I grew up in Washington state. I am loyal to all the Washington teams. I hope the Mariners get a closer opponent! Go PDX Diamond Project!!!
Honestly, this is why even those of Oregon sports fans who are fans of Seattle and don't intend to switch if/when Portland (or Oregon in general) get teams, should still root for Portland to get said teams. As someone who roots for both the Kings and Cardinals, this was something i hated about the Coyotes moving to Utah, because now LA is the only place i can possibly go to see both teams play (when the Cardinals play at SoFi against either the Misplaced Rams or Chargers while the Kings have either a home stand, or it's the Ducks who they're playing on the road), whereas before there was also the chance the Coyotes would host the Kings in Tempe while the Cardinals would play a home game out in Glendale within a couple days or so.
Okay, so given the Diamond project announcing that the stadium is going onto the larger segment of land (18 versus 15), that says it'll be put on the south side of the bridge. I personally dislike that, as I believe it should be the north side for the most direct access to transit, pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure, which then would also minimize the amount of parking required to attend games or other events hosted at the stadium, like concerts. Tilikum Crossing the the white cable-stay bridge on the north side of the property, which is exclusively a transit, pedestrian and bicyclist bridge. If they're smart, they then could easily implement a beautiful broad walking path south to then access the developments they want to put in on that 18 acres. I assume home plate will end up facing west-southwest, southwest or west, as I believe it's a given they'll prioritize the view east toward Mt. Hood. Though to maximize the views, the southwest facing option would allow the grandstands to get views of Hood, Adams, Helens and even Rainier on clear atmospheric days, as well as flights going in and out of PDX. I do personally strongly prefer getting a NHL team over a MLB team, even a NFL team over a MLB though, for a number of reasons, one being I guarantee people here would support the other two far more than they will a baseball team. Sure, we have history with baseball teams, but honestly? It didn't make any noticeable impact on us or our history. In fact, people's love for the other two stand out more than baseball by a long shot. Ultimately, I'm just glad it won't be the Red Tail Golf Course. Willamette is said "Will-am-it". And we're fairly lazy speakers, so if you slur them together, you should nail it.
It’s good to see the PDP finally doing something. Everyone can agree that the golf course spot was a stupid idea and it’s a better to have the stadium right next to downtown Portland. With easy access to the max train as well it will definitely help elevate traffic downtown. Portland needs people to come back downtown and the proposal is a no brainer. Portlands population has been declining but the city is finally starting to rebound after awhile. As well as the area population is growing rapidly. I hope it happens
As other commenters have said, Portland population decline has leveled off and metro area never declined, continues to grow. I agree that the golf course idea was terrible, I think they were hedging their bets and showing the Zidell family they were serious.
That looks like a great place in the thumbnail: right next to a perfect spot for a catastrophic flood. Land in the South-East will be going for pennies in the near-future, as will any location near rivers in low-lying areas. But I suppose it’s not my moolah I’ll be wasting. What about on an island, or underwater? Skip to the end right away.
I'm expecting this to give Portland's NHL expansion campaign a boost. Bettman has met with the representatives of Portland and I find it hard it to believe that they're gonna let the MLB steal the spotlight away from hockey there. The sport that wins the race to join the Trailblazers as Oregon's 3rd team will have the best shot at growing a long-term fanbase.
If only. Major problem: while the Blazers made a deal for the city to take over Moda Center, the Blazers most certainly have management rights. Paul Allen, kind of like Tilman Fertitta in Houston, gave lip service to NHL while wanting a discount on a franchise back when the arena was new, and the NHL is not in that business. I expect the NBA to help broker the “auction” the Allen estate requests and to basically maintain the status quo at Moda Center.
Second team? You mean third team. The Timbers have been here for a decade + now, and is passionately supported here. The MLS is absolutely one of the big dogs with NBA, NHL, NFL & MLB.
Putting a baseball park there would be awesome. Would be very reminiscent of Pittsburghs setup. Also, the MAX runs right across the Tilikum bridge. Goes north and south from there. I think Portland would be a great baseball town. The AL West needs another team.
Red Tail would have been insane. 217 is a nightmare as it is. Putting a stadium there would have been catastrophic for traffic in that area. And who would have travelled regularly from the East Side or Vancouver to that site? I’m glad that idea is dead.
I like the site and Portland feels like a fun baseball place. I know it’s long shot, but do you think MLB could go with 4 teams like in the old expansion days?
I think Sac gets it. Took the initiative by taking in A's to have that chance to show out. And making in-roads with Manfred and co. and already had the in with being close to Fisher. It was the bold move, a chance to show what they can do with an opp for baseball. Smart move by Ranadive. I think LV A's in '28, Sac (fill in blank), and Nashville (fill in blank) in the East is how it turns out.
@@brodiebrazil It's just The A's to begin with. And A's will be LV A's in '28. But I do think Sac rides the momentum of taking in A's and doing well with the opp when expansion heats up. Ranadive is already tight with Fisher, he's helping Manfred and MLB out. But it's a real thing, I real try. I think he makes it happen. They get it.
@@mjwings3yea ur totally right ranadive is doing MLB a huge favor by letting the A’s play in that pathetic minor league park. It’s going to a be a disaster just wait on it. And A’s in LV by 2028? With what Bally’s is going through right now in Chicago I highly doubt they will meet any of their timelines for this half ass project
@@chriszechariah You will see, LV A's in 28. But Ranadive is also getting something in return. There are no G's with expansion. It was lame to even think you could force that with the ridculous Oak offer that was just symbolic, but he's getting a chance to show out with MLB in his city. And is already tight with Fisher and making in-roads with Manfred and co. by helping while again, getting something in return. A chance, a real chance. Bolt smart move. I'm just repeating myself of course and I'd guess it won't hit the second or third time. But when all said and done it will be LV A's, Sac (fill in blank), Nashville (fill in blank) is how I think it turns out for A's move and expansion teams.
As someone from the Bay Area and moved to Portland, this is great news for me, optimistic thinking lol. I have to drive to Seattle to watch hockey (which isn't bad but still) only having an NBA team kinda makes me sad lol.
We need more ballparks with picturesque city skyline views, a la PNC Park which has the most stunning view in baseball in my opinion. This would likely be up there, and the renderings for the possible new White Sox stadium in the South Loop also look promising.
I am loving this Brodie Brazil guy. Just found him. Such a breath of fresh air when compared to these hot-take blow-hards that drown out good sports commentary.
Speaking as somebody that lives in Utah but has also visited Portland (shout out to the Peculiarium) I think Portland having an MLB team would be very cool. And that Zidell Yards site has so much potential. I know Portland prides itself on being "weird", which is just another way of saying "unique", and having those bridge supports outline maybe tunnels going from the stadium to the entertainment district might be fun. Incorporating the bridge somehow without spending too much money on it would be a great way to make that ballpark unique and a lot of fun. Also if Portland beats SLC to the punch for an MLB team, they HAVE to get either Blue Star or Voodoo Doughnuts as an on-site vendor. That's a prerequisite, non-negotiable. Best donuts in the PNW.
About 20 years ago, there was a bill passed in Oregon which created funding for a ball park (when they tried to get the Expos). I don't know if that is still active or not (I doubt it).
A whole lot of transit issues would have to be sorted. Lightrail gets close, but would have to be extended. Additional roadways would have to be constructed. Major parking garages , open and easy pedestrian ways( which the Tilikum crossing bridge plays well into for ease of river crossing). It's a good site if they can figure out the traffic and movement puzzle.
The Ross Island Bridge needs to be replaced. This is a great opportunity to explore it. The bridge is just too small for the volume of traffic it carries daily. This could really help with traffic flow... And also allow them to build a really great waterfront ballpark.
Would this in any way increase the amount of direct flights to more cities out of PDX? Going to a wedding in Philly this weekend and it was surprising to see I couldn’t get a direct flight
As a fellow Californian who was a DJ in Oregon in the early 80s, I also ran afoul of the Willamette pronunciation. :) One of my co-workers at the station I worked at once said to me, "It's Wil-LAM-it dammit!" LOL
Speaking of Orlando, IMO if the Rays can't move into Tampa proper then they should be the ones going to Orlando. St. Pete is a really inconvenient location to get in and out of.
@@giomole Florida should not have a third MLB team. That would be a horrible decision. The Rays and Marlins are already in the bottom-3 of attendance every year.
@@ki2726 Florida has a population of just under 23 million people making it the 3rd largest state. Grouping Florida metro areas into one area is too general. Also, those team owners run the team poorly. MLB should find new ownership.
PxP Announcer: "It's a high fly ball going foul over the left field stands." Insert stinger commercial: "🎶Safelite repair! Safelite replace!🎶" PxP Announcer: "Oooh! Looks like that one careened into the river. And there go the scuba medics"...
As a scorned and fed up Mariners fan (like most), I will absolutely jump ship accros the Columbia if Portland gets a team and shows that they actually want to win
I dunno if Brodie dug down deep into sports geography, but it ironically has a West Coast bias. Only the NHL has an East Coast bias; with all its 16 Eastern Conference teams in the EST. The NBA includes Chicago in the "East".
Another question to ask: if Portland OR is considered such a prime location for an MLB team, then why don't they have a team in the Pacific Coast League? Metro areas like Nashville (Nashville Sounds), Charlotte (Charlotte Knights), and Raleigh-Durham (Durham Bulls) all have AAA teams that are among the most successful teams in minor league baseball.
Although it's in Beaverton, Redtail Golf Course is owned by the City of Portland. So PDP may be sucking up to Portland by being willing to take that property off their hands.
I agree, MLB seems to like to do that with nearby teams. Mets/Yankees, Giants/A's, Dodgers/Angels ... now with A's moving it could be Padres/A's. Seattle/Portland makes sense. On the other hand if they were the same league I'd take the train to Seattle for Portland games up there.
Portlanders do love to vote for more taxes, but I don't know if they'll go for, "Yes, Mr. Billionaire, we'll help you out with construction for your private business."
The site is great! Right next to I-5 and a transit center that includes Light Rail, Bus and Streetcar with great access to the river. But, the MLB seems intent on growing in the South. Portland is just not growing like Nashville, Austin and Orlando.
As someone who lives near and takes the Ross Island regularly...I look forward to them developing the area, I don't look forward to the construction. Portland's traffic patterns are garbage and the Ross Island is the primary way for those of us in the SE sector of the city to get over the river and to the west.
All y'all commenting about traffic nightmare for Zidell, yeh, yeh, whatever. Look at Oracle Park in San Francisco. Pretty much same set up. Near downtown traffic but also super accessible by public transit including Caltrain, light rail and buses, close to 101 and Bay Bridge, on the water. Other than RIB needing quake retrofit, same same traffic hassle.
Lloyd Center is NOT downtown. It's across the river from downtown in "NorthEast." Saying Lloyd Center is in downtown Portland is like saying Oakland Colesium is in downtown Oakland. It's not.
I remember back in the 80's (a thousand years ago), Buffalo, Indianapolis and Vancouver were all making pitches for MLB teams, which each city having a new stadium (at the time) either built or ready to build. These days, those cities are never mentioned for a MLB teaam. I believe the same thing will happen in Portland.
Indianapolis would be a good place for the White Sox to relocate. It is relatively close to Chicago and instead of the White Sox having to share the Chicago metro area with the more-popular Cubs, the White Sox could have the entire state of Indiana to themselves.
Cities change in population rankings over the years. At one time Buffalo was around the 15th most populous metropolitan area in the USA, now it barely cracks the top 50. This article by the Census Bureau is titled, "Large Southern Cities Lead Nation in Population Growth." That is where MLB should consider moving teams or establishing new teams. www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/subcounty-metro-micro-estimates.html
Having lived in PDX, public funding for a sportsball facility is a political non-starter. If that’s a disqualification, then it’s game over for MLB in Portland. 100% private funding should be allowed. If so, Portland has good summertime weather, restaurants, a nearby potential rival, indoors and outdoor attractions, and public transit.
Seriously, stop it. You are right, but no one outside of Portlandia would look at any map of the city and only call one side of the river downtown. Brodie is doing a great job on this story - show him some love, not disrespect!
@@MichaelRegan I have to admit I enjoyed the video but if he'd done about 15 minutes more research he could have avoided several mistakes that made him sound misinformed. No one looks at a map and concludes with no context what is or isnt' downtown. It's not a big deal but Lloyd Center would not be a downtown ballpark. It would be in inner northeast, and probably good for that part of town - but it wouldn't be downtown and wouldn't have an impact on downtown. On the other hand ... Zidell Yards isn't downtown either! Lloyd Center and Zidell are both inner urban but not downtown - like in many cities.
For the Orlando nay sayers, Orlando could easily support a MLB team. Florida is a large state and four hours from the Marlins, and over 2 hours to the Rays stadiums. Saying Orlando is too close to those cities is the equivalent of saying Portland shouldn't get a team because Seattle already has a team in the northwest.
It would be downright foolish for MLB inc. to leave all of northern california to the giants- and this is coming from someone who is a lifelong giants fan. This is a region that is crazy for baseball and is also one of the worlds wealthiest metro regions and we have millions of cable TV subscribers and great weather and world renowned culture and a rich baseball history. Almost every day I go to Giants comments section and it is filled with Dodgers and Padres fans who wish they had it this good. Chill.
I grew up in Salt Lake City, but I spent the '80s in Portland. Either city is a good choice, but I've got to go with Portland on this one. Not only is Portland larger, but Salt Lake just got an NHL team and was awarded a second bid for the Winter Olympics, so Salt Lake already has a lot going on and Portland really needs this!
In my opinion, it would be better for major league baseball to add two teams in the Carolinas (over 16 million people in NC and SC, so Charlotte and Raleigh can each have a team) and a team in Nashville (over 7 million people in Tennessee). The population of Oregon is less than 4½ million. It would be absurd to put a second team in the Pacific Northwest while the far-more populous South (not counting Florida and Texas) has only one team. Also, population of Oregon is decreasing while the population of NC, SC, and TN are growing at among the fastest rates in the USA.
What do you base that statistic on? Per US census, Oregon in 2000: 3.4 million. 2010: 3.8 million. 2020: 4.2 million. Estimated to be the same in 2023, now apparently growing again after the covid lull.
@@basiluzzo2020 population: 4,237,256 2023 population (estimated): 4,233,358 That is actually small decline in population from 2020 until 2023. Population of other states in consideration for MLB teams (2023 estimates): North Carolina: 10,835,491 South Carolina: 5,373,555 (combined population of NC and SC is over 16.2 million) Tennessee: 7,126,489 Those are population figures far exceeding Oregon and all three of those states are growing at among the fastest rates in the USA.
The 1996 Portland flood would have caused minor street flooding into the Zidell site. I worked on the OHSU South Waterfront facilities next to the Zidell site and did significant planning on flood risk and mitigation there. The risk of flooding is present, but minimal and rare. Not an issue.
Diamondbacks should relocate to Portland, Oregon to the new project site in Downtown Portland and they would be called the Portland Diamondbacks they would still be in the National League West division and still be part of Major League Baseball
If the MLB expands to 32 teams, don't they have to add one more division to the current divisions from 3 to 4 divisions, like the NFL's division format? (North, South, East, & West) I don't see if any of these expansion teams would be a sixth team in a 5-team division.
@@MichaelRegan No, it's not, not even close. It's 2 miles away and on the other side of a large river. Anything east of the river maybe central but isn't downtown. But agree with you that it's all academic and tangential to the topic.
Late spring, summer and early fall in Portland is really beautiful. We get some seriously hot weather in the summer and then it's really nice to be on the water! That site on the Willamette would be one of the most picturesque in all of MLB, with views of Mt Hood from the upper deck of the park. I would buy season's tix for sure.
I can already visualize this place way better than the spot the White Sox money laundering scheme wants to move to, even without a lame, sleazy Reinsdork publicity stunt. A bridge overlooking one side of the outfield and the possibility for splashdowns on the other is such a fantastic backdrop for a ballpark.
I see this group of four potential expansion/relocation cities being lightyears ahead of the rest: - Portland - Nashville - Montreal - Sacramento/Oakland (if Giants are only NorCal team)
How is Montreal light years ahead of SLC? Do they even have a potential ownership group? Land to build the stadium on? Or even $900 million to throw at a team right now? No they don’t. People need to give up this dream that the mlb is going back to Montreal because it’s not going to happen.
@@ki2726 Utah isn't a city. (@ki2726 4 days ago @rapalbumdepot7648 Nashville, Montreal, Utah, Portland is probably the order of likeliest cities to get a next team.)
PDP should acquire the A’s. Green and Gold are the colors of Portland’s teams, it would keep them on the West Coast, and is much closer to getting them a ballpark than Vegas.
@@jasonbaker6842 Portland is not that big of a city. Sports aren't really a big deal in Portland. I have a hard time seeing the stadium more than half full on a weekday night. Especially in a few years once the newness wears off. Timbers and Thorns do well because most of their games are on weekends
@@jasonbaker6842 someone can be fans of all those teams and not attend their games too. Except people do attend the soccer matches. And soccer and baseball are completely different sports with different fan bases. I've been to dozens of soccer games here. I dont give a shit about baseball
Public funding of some sort is strongly preferred by MLB because other owners don't want more precedent set that stadiums can and should be privately funded.
wi-lam-ette - all slurred together Lloyd Center is NOT downtown - it's on the east side of the river which is opposite of downtown, a bit east of the Rose Quarter. This new site does not have good access despite being split by the Ross Island Bridge and within easy sight distance of I-5. It is all surface street access, even onto the Ross Island Bridge to head east from the west side of the river. And a view of the Marquam Bridge is not exactly ideal - better to have the view toward the river and east where you can see Mt Hood on a clear day.
Lighten up with the Lloyd Center geography lesson for our Bay Area brother… no one outside of Portlandia would ever think that’s not “downtown” on a map view. And I think this new site looks fantastic with Tilikum Crossing right at the stadium and RIB being so tall that you could walk under the arches into the ballpark village. I also saw a placement view that had the view lines looking straight east, as you suggested - right at Mount Hood… perfect view!
@@MichaelRegan I'd give him a hard time about Bay Area geography too, lol. I realize that the Lloyd Center site is much closer to downtown than, say, Candlestick was to downtown SF, though. ;) I saw some site view options too and I'm curious what sort of a stadium would be built on the site, especially since we'd need a retractable roof, but it's certainly the best site the PDP have explored for a stadium. Tilikum Crossing is important for pedestrian/bike access, but, as others note, RIB needs to be replaced and, like I said, access from I-5 NB is on some narrow surface streets - all that would need to be re-worked and likely would result in eminent domain court challenges with people & businesses being displaced. That's the biggest drawback I can see to the location and I'm not sure it's solvable. Bunch of NIMBYs will shut it down probably.
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As far as transit, you have the Portland Max Orange line and multiple Portland Streetcar lines, all converging in the vicinity and connecting vast parts of the city and the South Waterfront Tram terminal transiting from Marquam Hill. People could park across the river or near any significant transit center, ride the train, and alleviate traffic congestion.
Heck, they could build a parking garage on the other side of the river and utilize Tillikum Crossing as a pedestrian footpath to the stadium.
@@Ironcabbit Great point. The city is trying to find ways to develop that OMSI area on the other side of the bridge. Running a shuttle from there to Zidell Yards would be great for new venues on the east side of the river.
The backdrop would be picturesque.
Yes. People doing crack right next to the river
One thing to consider is that the Ross Island Bridge is super old and due for replacement due to seismic concerns. Additionally, the other bridge in the picture, Tilikum Crossing, is a mass-transit and pedestrian/cyclist bridge only, so the stadium would quite literally have an integrated transit center built-in, with no modifications.
Thats the first thing I noticed that cooridor is already a cluster fugg I cant imagine how bad it would be on game day.
Riverfront for MLB and Red Tail GC for NFL.
One advantage of having the bridge there is that the geotechnical conditions at the site are well known. It’s earthquake country.
@@JosePlata Jose, please don't say fugg. It is super offensive. If you change the u to a, the g to r, and the other g to t, then you have the word fart which is so totally profane.
@@JosePlataany stadium is going to be chaos on game day but having it near a major interstate and multiple bridges could be helpful. Especially being next to the tillikum crossing which like someone said, is a public transit and pedestrian only bridge. There is a lot more room for parking on the east side of the river so it would make that side of things way easier. Also having it near downtown and public transit in general should spread out some of the congestion when compared to putting it way out in the suburbs. Could even do a boat park and ride in theory!
Ross Island bridge is elevated, you can walk right under so park on one side and entertainment district on the other side is no problem, in fact the bridge has to be replaced anyway due to quake concerns. FYI it is pronounced "Will lamb it", Willamette.
He tried ... he only got the A sound wrong. Better than "will-a-METTE".
Portland-area based A's fan here, after this season, if this comes to fruition, I am all in.
There are dozens of us! Dozens!
Portland may be a better home than Vegas.
@@lewatoaofair2522 100%, no one ventures outside their homes in Vegas in the Summer
@@deanfirnatine7814That's fake news. We're outside all year. Can't wait for the A's to come home to Nevada.
@@alexandercronk5694"There's no such thing as bad weather...... Only Bad Clothing!!" Ma Gert Boyle of Columbia Sportswear 😊😊
Brodie, in the video, you keep saying Lloyd Center is downtown. It's really not. It's actually about a mile east of the river opposite of downtown. The Lloyd Center spot was more spacious than you indicated, especially when you factor in park space nearby. That would have been a great spot for an sports entertainment district, given It's proximity to Moda Center.
That being said, I love the riverfront spot even more! Its proximity to Portland's newest Public transportation bridge The Tilikum is amazing. I pass this lot over the bridge every day on the way to work. As a displaced A's fan living in Portland, I'd be foaming at the mouth to work for a Portland baseball team!
If Portland ever gets a baseball team, Kurt Russell needs to run it. Those of you who have ever seen his baseball documentary will know why.
Good call!!!
Absolutely!
totally agree, "The Battered Bastards of Baseball" is an excellent documentary and a wonderful story. But just a small correction, it was owned by Kurt's father, Bing Russell. Maybe Kurt could step in and run the show in this hypothetical future, lol.
and the team should be the Portland Bastards
@@ecashman : good point. but since Bing is unfortunately no longer with us, I suggested Kurt. I probably should have clarified that.
Utah and Portland both support the NBA teams well. Giving another team to Florida just seems weird since the other teams don't draw.
If I could change anything in the MLB, I’d probably undo the 93 and 98 expansions… I don’t know why MLB expanded into the states where Spring Training is held
Yeah, if Orlando waits long enough, I'm sure the Devil Rays or the Marlins could move there
@@geth7112 Exactly!
That’s the ONLY way the MLB would move a team to Orlando.
Charlotte needs a team wayyyy before Portland does.
Oregon and SW Washington are so starved for anything major other than the poor Blazers, fans would be hanging from the rafters. This seems the most access friendly site in downtown ever discussed. I just moved down to South of Eugene and I will buy some kind of weekend game package in a heartbeat. If they got a relocated team they could still use "civic stadium" as a temp home, I have talked to one of the architects who drew up the plans for it as a temp home years ago and its not a super expensive monumental deal to set that up as a 2-3 year temp home. If soccer people complain they can sit and spin on a Louisville Slugger, I am still bitter at those jerks pushing the Beavers out.
As a Portland resident, I am impressed by your level of detail and accuracy. You said Willamette correct the first time.
As a local Portlander I’m excited but keeping my expectations tempered. The site is very good bc it falls in line with our public transit line (MAX) as well as being right next to i-5 so getting there will be easy. The problem with PDP is they are very secretive so no one knows where funding is coming from (outside of Russell Wilson appearing at a few events) and they’ve teased so many sites in the past.
I can tell you that baseball will do very well in this city! The Trail Blazers and Timbers are some of the best supported teams in their leagues. Our High-A baseball team, Hillsboro Hops, just broke ground on a new stadium in hopes of gaining Double A status. Our summer wooden bat team, Portland Pickles, consistently sell out games and have a huge social media presence. Finally, the city threw a parade when we were awarded a WNBA team just earlier this month.
This city is starved for sports and we’re sick of Seattle being the only representative for the Pacific NW. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this actually happens 🤞🏼
The Hillsboro Hops in the Texas League? Um, think about that one.
Could be a merge of Northwest and California Leagues. Or could be AAA.
Craig Cheek is the founder and main front man. A big money silcone valley whale was mentioned being behind the PDP maybe....its the owners of the thorns/wnba teams. The Allens dont rule over PDX anymore like they did for decades.
@@PCSPounder Good point. Looked into it and the new stadium is meant to meet the new requirements for High-A.
A baseball team would be in competition with the Timbers and Thorns. Both teams draw fans from the area. How many people will drive in from Lake Oswego on a Tuesday, park far away from the stadium and take the MAX so they can step over people ODing on fentanyl to watch a baseball game?
@@nochepatada can’t you say the same thing about Seattle?
6:54 I’m not sure what the parking situation will look like. But the cool thing is that the MAXrail blue, red, orange and green lines all run adjacent to the site and there’s a couple already existing stops in that area since it’s near the OHSU campus (Oregon Health & Sciences University, our main state hospital complex, who has their own publicly used gondola). So I really love it from that perspective.
Also, you were so close on your first attempt at pronouncing Willamette 😂. It’s WILL-AM-IT.
Anyway, great vid as always and appreciate you bringing this project to light nationally. Who knows what will happen going forward or if it will be a relocated team that ends up here 👀
That location would have some of the best transit connections for any stadium in the MLB, up there with Wrigley and Yankee Stadium. 3 streetcar lines (2 are part of the loop) and one light rail. Would be super fun to ride the amtrak cascades down for Mariners games
the bridge just to the north of the site, is a transit bridge. Trains, Buses, Walking, Biking.
This is the best idea for an MLB park location in Portland so far. Would definitely reinforce the south waterfront in a big way. I would love to see this happen.
I walk by 🎉this site all the time and have thought for years this would be the best site in town for a ballpark. The park would be north of the Ross Island Bridge. Super exciting!🤞🤞🤞
Let's go PDX! Mariners are killing me. I live in Olympia and could shift my attention southward ;-)
But how often would you drive a couple hours to attend a game?
@@nochepatada its like driving to the coast
@@conquest4561 driving back from the coast at 10 PM on a Wednesday?
There's 81 home games in a season
sited on the river with nearby bridges gives a pittsburghesque look to it.
The main investors is a Steelers player
It's been said that Portland is Pittsburgh and Seattle's love child.
@@larryjex6485LMFAO
Brodie to echo the other commenters, the Ross Island bridge is HIGH over the site, not much of an impediment to movement between the 2 halves. Tillikum Crossing (the bridge on the northern edge of the site) has stations for the extensive light rail system, the streetcar that serves the central city, and the bus rapid transit line the serves the souther part of the other side of the river. Road access and parking are already concerns and would have to be addressed. And to address your speculation, the park would undoubtedly face east, with spectacular views of Mt Hood (google it) from the upper decks. Instantly one of the most iconic views in all of baseball.
The Lloyd Center is East of downtown on the other side of the river.😊
A's fan living in Portland. Brodie, when you say the unwritten expectation is for public financing, how much of that do you think is earmarked for infrastructure improvements? The bridge right behind Ross Island is the Tilikum crossing bridge. This bridge does not carry private cars, it is 100% dedicated to public transit. Both the Max (light rail line) and Tri Met bus service carry passengers across the bridge. There are also bike and pedestrian lanes in both directions. I could see this serving as a huge source of getting people to the ballpark. Portland does not prioritize parking structures, and I don't see one getting built.
I don't see voters ponying up public funds for a ballpark. As far as I can tell, the Diamond Project appears able to privately finance the construction of the ballpark.
Maybe Portland doesn't need public financing given that we have already made the necessary infrastructure investments around Zidell?
$300M from the state, the rest can be funded privately.
PDP, has virtually zero dollars to finance acquisition of a team- let alone build a stadium. Go to their website - just four people officially involved: hucksters Cheek and Barrett and Russ and Ciara at like five mil. There's ZERO suggestion from any reporting source that PDP has a sugar daddy (mommy?) lined up. Not even lead local cheerleader Canzano has been able to dredge up a name. It's all smoke and mirrors, as it has been from Day One.
Brodie Brazil, super realtor.
It's a goddamn bridge, dude!
Its a excellent site albeit a bit of a squeeze for the stadium part unless they remove the Ross Island Bridge that has to be replaced anyway. Good room South of the bridge for other stuff associated with park. This group has tons of money and the state approved partial financing based on tax revenue many years ago. Portland is either number one or two as far as TV market for cities in the country with only one of the big four sports teams, Portland's market size is bigger than Salt Lake City #22 vs #27 I believe and SLC now has two major sports franchises NBA and NHL vs Portland's one NBA and Portland is larger, that seems a win for Portland.
The Oregonian (local newspaper) ran an excellent infographic with 11 major ballparks superimposed on the half of the site north of the Ross Island Bridge - all fit nicely. The Petco Park footprint was almost exactly the same. As I said in a different comment, with the Interstate Bridge and the Burnside Bridge both nearing replacement, it'll be years before the Ross Island gets its turn, and you can only close 1 bridge across the Willamette at a time. Also 3 other Willamette Bridges are older than the Ross Island, and loss of the Steel Bridge would be more catastrophic than losing the Ross Island. The Steel Bridge should be next.
I like the thought naming the Portland ballpark something similar to Orioles Ballpark at Camden Yards.. You know, (Team Name) Ballpark at Zidell Yards!
I suspect a stadium naming rights deal...
@@ronclark9724 (Corporate name) Ballpark at Zidell Yards
PORTLAND LUMBERJAX OR PINES.
Beavers. Dust off that old nickname.
@@lewatoaofair2522 I second that motion
I've lived in Orrgon for 23 years. But, I grew up in Washington state. I am loyal to all the Washington teams. I hope the Mariners get a closer opponent! Go PDX Diamond Project!!!
Honestly, this is why even those of Oregon sports fans who are fans of Seattle and don't intend to switch if/when Portland (or Oregon in general) get teams, should still root for Portland to get said teams. As someone who roots for both the Kings and Cardinals, this was something i hated about the Coyotes moving to Utah, because now LA is the only place i can possibly go to see both teams play (when the Cardinals play at SoFi against either the Misplaced Rams or Chargers while the Kings have either a home stand, or it's the Ducks who they're playing on the road), whereas before there was also the chance the Coyotes would host the Kings in Tempe while the Cardinals would play a home game out in Glendale within a couple days or so.
Okay, so given the Diamond project announcing that the stadium is going onto the larger segment of land (18 versus 15), that says it'll be put on the south side of the bridge. I personally dislike that, as I believe it should be the north side for the most direct access to transit, pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure, which then would also minimize the amount of parking required to attend games or other events hosted at the stadium, like concerts. Tilikum Crossing the the white cable-stay bridge on the north side of the property, which is exclusively a transit, pedestrian and bicyclist bridge. If they're smart, they then could easily implement a beautiful broad walking path south to then access the developments they want to put in on that 18 acres.
I assume home plate will end up facing west-southwest, southwest or west, as I believe it's a given they'll prioritize the view east toward Mt. Hood. Though to maximize the views, the southwest facing option would allow the grandstands to get views of Hood, Adams, Helens and even Rainier on clear atmospheric days, as well as flights going in and out of PDX.
I do personally strongly prefer getting a NHL team over a MLB team, even a NFL team over a MLB though, for a number of reasons, one being I guarantee people here would support the other two far more than they will a baseball team. Sure, we have history with baseball teams, but honestly? It didn't make any noticeable impact on us or our history. In fact, people's love for the other two stand out more than baseball by a long shot.
Ultimately, I'm just glad it won't be the Red Tail Golf Course.
Willamette is said "Will-am-it". And we're fairly lazy speakers, so if you slur them together, you should nail it.
It’s good to see the PDP finally doing something. Everyone can agree that the golf course spot was a stupid idea and it’s a better to have the stadium right next to downtown Portland. With easy access to the max train as well it will definitely help elevate traffic downtown. Portland needs people to come back downtown and the proposal is a no brainer. Portlands population has been declining but the city is finally starting to rebound after awhile. As well as the area population is growing rapidly. I hope it happens
As other commenters have said, Portland population decline has leveled off and metro area never declined, continues to grow. I agree that the golf course idea was terrible, I think they were hedging their bets and showing the Zidell family they were serious.
Brodie im loving this mlb expansion series of videos. Super informative and highlights a large trend among pro sports. Keep up the great work 👍
Glad you like them! more to come.
I also enjoy his takes on relocation and sports stadium news involving the rest of the 4 major sports leagues 🏈 ⚾️ 🏒 🏀
The mt hood view if possible would be a cherry on top
That looks like a great place in the thumbnail: right next to a perfect spot for a catastrophic flood.
Land in the South-East will be going for pennies in the near-future, as will any location near rivers in low-lying areas.
But I suppose it’s not my moolah I’ll be wasting. What about on an island, or underwater? Skip to the end right away.
Thank you Brodie for producing Willamette correctly.
almost
I'm expecting this to give Portland's NHL expansion campaign a boost. Bettman has met with the representatives of Portland and I find it hard it to believe that they're gonna let the MLB steal the spotlight away from hockey there. The sport that wins the race to join the Trailblazers as Oregon's 3rd team will have the best shot at growing a long-term fanbase.
If only. Major problem: while the Blazers made a deal for the city to take over Moda Center, the Blazers most certainly have management rights. Paul Allen, kind of like Tilman Fertitta in Houston, gave lip service to NHL while wanting a discount on a franchise back when the arena was new, and the NHL is not in that business. I expect the NBA to help broker the “auction” the Allen estate requests and to basically maintain the status quo at Moda Center.
Second team? You mean third team. The Timbers have been here for a decade + now, and is passionately supported here. The MLS is absolutely one of the big dogs with NBA, NHL, NFL & MLB.
A baseball team would compete with the Timbers. I don't think thered be as many crossover fans as people might think
Lloyd center is nowhere near downtown. It’s on the east side
It is walkable and bikeable from downtown but it certainly isn't near downtown.
Putting a baseball park there would be awesome. Would be very reminiscent of Pittsburghs setup. Also, the MAX runs right across the Tilikum bridge. Goes north and south from there. I think Portland would be a great baseball town. The AL West needs another team.
Also, The M's need an I-5 rival to match the upcoming Sonics/Trail Blazers rivalry reunion 😎😎
This is definitely PDP's best site yet.
Red Tail would have been insane. 217 is a nightmare as it is. Putting a stadium there would have been catastrophic for traffic in that area. And who would have travelled regularly from the East Side or Vancouver to that site? I’m glad that idea is dead.
I like the site and Portland feels like a fun baseball place.
I know it’s long shot, but do you think MLB could go with 4 teams like in the old expansion days?
My biggest hope
Its hard to think portland could support a minor league team yet a MLB team,
I think Sac gets it. Took the initiative by taking in A's to have that chance to show out. And making in-roads with Manfred and co. and already had the in with being close to Fisher. It was the bold move, a chance to show what they can do with an opp for baseball. Smart move by Ranadive. I think LV A's in '28, Sac (fill in blank), and Nashville (fill in blank) in the East is how it turns out.
and where do the sacramento a's play in 2028?
@@brodiebrazil the railyards in downtown sacramento has space already zoned for a 25k seat sports stadium
@@brodiebrazil It's just The A's to begin with. And A's will be LV A's in '28. But I do think Sac rides the momentum of taking in A's and doing well with the opp when expansion heats up. Ranadive is already tight with Fisher, he's helping Manfred and MLB out. But it's a real thing, I real try. I think he makes it happen. They get it.
@@mjwings3yea ur totally right ranadive is doing MLB a huge favor by letting the A’s play in that pathetic minor league park. It’s going to a be a disaster just wait on it. And A’s in LV by 2028? With what Bally’s is going through right now in Chicago I highly doubt they will meet any of their timelines for this half ass project
@@chriszechariah You will see, LV A's in 28. But Ranadive is also getting something in return. There are no G's with expansion. It was lame to even think you could force that with the ridculous Oak offer that was just symbolic, but he's getting a chance to show out with MLB in his city. And is already tight with Fisher and making in-roads with Manfred and co. by helping while again, getting something in return.
A chance, a real chance. Bolt smart move. I'm just repeating myself of course and I'd guess it won't hit the second or third time. But when all said and done it will be LV A's, Sac (fill in blank), Nashville (fill in blank) is how I think it turns out for A's move and expansion teams.
As someone from the Bay Area and moved to Portland, this is great news for me, optimistic thinking lol. I have to drive to Seattle to watch hockey (which isn't bad but still) only having an NBA team kinda makes me sad lol.
And MLS
You also got the Timbers, though.
@@lewatoaofair2522 Yeah Splash said that already. Not a huge MLS fan but it's something.
Go Winterhawks!!!
We need more ballparks with picturesque city skyline views, a la PNC Park which has the most stunning view in baseball in my opinion. This would likely be up there, and the renderings for the possible new White Sox stadium in the South Loop also look promising.
I am loving this Brodie Brazil guy. Just found him. Such a breath of fresh air when compared to these hot-take blow-hards that drown out good sports commentary.
Speaking as somebody that lives in Utah but has also visited Portland (shout out to the Peculiarium) I think Portland having an MLB team would be very cool. And that Zidell Yards site has so much potential. I know Portland prides itself on being "weird", which is just another way of saying "unique", and having those bridge supports outline maybe tunnels going from the stadium to the entertainment district might be fun. Incorporating the bridge somehow without spending too much money on it would be a great way to make that ballpark unique and a lot of fun. Also if Portland beats SLC to the punch for an MLB team, they HAVE to get either Blue Star or Voodoo Doughnuts as an on-site vendor. That's a prerequisite, non-negotiable. Best donuts in the PNW.
Bluestar!
@@subgum3403 you damn right!
Go Portland Blue Sox!! GO!!!
About 20 years ago, there was a bill passed in Oregon which created funding for a ball park (when they tried to get the Expos). I don't know if that is still active or not (I doubt it).
Will-am-it 💯
Lemme guess, someone dared speak of the made up "Will-a-met-ee" river?
I pronounce it will-LAMB-it
The vowel mispronounciation is forgivable; he got the consonants right!
Rhymes with “dammit”
A whole lot of transit issues would have to be sorted. Lightrail gets close, but would have to be extended. Additional roadways would have to be constructed. Major parking garages , open and easy pedestrian ways( which the Tilikum crossing bridge plays well into for ease of river crossing). It's a good site if they can figure out the traffic and movement puzzle.
Extended? It isn't "close by" there is an Orange line Max station at the edge of the property. It can't get closer.
@@contentioushackery exactly!!!!! and the NS streetcar is there also! and the OHSU tram!
The Ross Island Bridge needs to be replaced. This is a great opportunity to explore it. The bridge is just too small for the volume of traffic it carries daily. This could really help with traffic flow... And also allow them to build a really great waterfront ballpark.
Plus the bridge entry points from I-5 coming north, SW and downtown are cray-cray.
I'm still not sold on Tampa's new stadium. They'll always be on relocation watch until the excavator starts digging.
Would this in any way increase the amount of direct flights to more cities out of PDX? Going to a wedding in Philly this weekend and it was surprising to see I couldn’t get a direct flight
As a fellow Californian who was a DJ in Oregon in the early 80s, I also ran afoul of the Willamette pronunciation. :) One of my co-workers at the station I worked at once said to me, "It's Wil-LAM-it dammit!" LOL
Speaking of Orlando, IMO if the Rays can't move into Tampa proper then they should be the ones going to Orlando. St. Pete is a really inconvenient location to get in and out of.
@@giomole Florida should not have a third MLB team. That would be a horrible decision. The Rays and Marlins are already in the bottom-3 of attendance every year.
@@ki2726 Florida has a population of just under 23 million people making it the 3rd largest state. Grouping Florida metro areas into one area is too general. Also, those team owners run the team poorly. MLB should find new ownership.
PxP Announcer: "It's a high fly ball going foul over the left field stands." Insert stinger commercial: "🎶Safelite repair! Safelite replace!🎶" PxP Announcer: "Oooh! Looks like that one careened into the river. And there go the scuba medics"...
As a scorned and fed up Mariners fan (like most), I will absolutely jump ship accros the Columbia if Portland gets a team and shows that they actually want to win
I dunno if Brodie dug down deep into sports geography, but it ironically has a West Coast bias. Only the NHL has an East Coast bias; with all its 16 Eastern Conference teams in the EST. The NBA includes Chicago in the "East".
Another question to ask: if Portland OR is considered such a prime location for an MLB team, then why don't they have a team in the Pacific Coast League? Metro areas like Nashville (Nashville Sounds), Charlotte (Charlotte Knights), and Raleigh-Durham (Durham Bulls) all have AAA teams that are among the most successful teams in minor league baseball.
Although it's in Beaverton, Redtail Golf Course is owned by the City of Portland. So PDP may be sucking up to Portland by being willing to take that property off their hands.
If Portland gets in, they should play in the NL. That would give the PNW a footprint in both leagues, to go with Seattle's AL membership.
I agree, MLB seems to like to do that with nearby teams. Mets/Yankees, Giants/A's, Dodgers/Angels ... now with A's moving it could be Padres/A's. Seattle/Portland makes sense. On the other hand if they were the same league I'd take the train to Seattle for Portland games up there.
Portlanders do love to vote for more taxes, but I don't know if they'll go for, "Yes, Mr. Billionaire, we'll help you out with construction for your private business."
The site is great! Right next to I-5 and a transit center that includes Light Rail, Bus and Streetcar with great access to the river. But, the MLB seems intent on growing in the South. Portland is just not growing like Nashville, Austin and Orlando.
As someone who lives near and takes the Ross Island regularly...I look forward to them developing the area, I don't look forward to the construction. Portland's traffic patterns are garbage and the Ross Island is the primary way for those of us in the SE sector of the city to get over the river and to the west.
All y'all commenting about traffic nightmare for Zidell, yeh, yeh, whatever. Look at Oracle Park in San Francisco. Pretty much same set up. Near downtown traffic but also super accessible by public transit including Caltrain, light rail and buses, close to 101 and Bay Bridge, on the water. Other than RIB needing quake retrofit, same same traffic hassle.
Lloyd Center is NOT downtown. It's across the river from downtown in "NorthEast." Saying Lloyd Center is in downtown Portland is like saying Oakland Colesium is in downtown Oakland. It's not.
The Athletics are perfect for Portland
This would be pretty cool
Close, Will-am (think amber or Amtrak am)-ett .
Its Willamette, Dammit!
Willamette's A sounds like Dam. Appreciate the effort though!
I remember back in the 80's (a thousand years ago), Buffalo, Indianapolis and Vancouver were all making pitches for MLB teams, which each city having a new stadium (at the time) either built or ready to build. These days, those cities are never mentioned for a MLB teaam. I believe the same thing will happen in Portland.
Indianapolis would be a good place for the White Sox to relocate. It is relatively close to Chicago and instead of the White Sox having to share the Chicago metro area with the more-popular Cubs, the White Sox could have the entire state of Indiana to themselves.
Cities change in population rankings over the years. At one time Buffalo was around the 15th most populous metropolitan area in the USA, now it barely cracks the top 50. This article by the Census Bureau is titled, "Large Southern Cities Lead Nation in Population Growth." That is where MLB should consider moving teams or establishing new teams. www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/subcounty-metro-micro-estimates.html
Having lived in PDX, public funding for a sportsball facility is a political non-starter. If that’s a disqualification, then it’s game over for MLB in Portland. 100% private funding should be allowed. If so, Portland has good summertime weather, restaurants, a nearby potential rival, indoors and outdoor attractions, and public transit.
Also, Lloyd Center is not downtown. Sloppy research.
Seriously, stop it. You are right, but no one outside of Portlandia would look at any map of the city and only call one side of the river downtown. Brodie is doing a great job on this story - show him some love, not disrespect!
Not true, but whatever.
@@MichaelRegan I have to admit I enjoyed the video but if he'd done about 15 minutes more research he could have avoided several mistakes that made him sound misinformed. No one looks at a map and concludes with no context what is or isnt' downtown. It's not a big deal but Lloyd Center would not be a downtown ballpark. It would be in inner northeast, and probably good for that part of town - but it wouldn't be downtown and wouldn't have an impact on downtown. On the other hand ... Zidell Yards isn't downtown either! Lloyd Center and Zidell are both inner urban but not downtown - like in many cities.
@@basiluzzo "OSHU Adjacent."
@@MichaelReganexactly! West side is not downtown. Just like the Timbers don't play in downtown, they play in Goose Hollow
For the Orlando nay sayers, Orlando could easily support a MLB team. Florida is a large state and four hours from the Marlins, and over 2 hours to the Rays stadiums. Saying Orlando is too close to those cities is the equivalent of saying Portland shouldn't get a team because Seattle already has a team in the northwest.
It would be downright foolish for MLB inc. to leave all of northern california to the giants- and this is coming from someone who is a lifelong giants fan. This is a region that is crazy for baseball and is also one of the worlds wealthiest metro regions and we have millions of cable TV subscribers and great weather and world renowned culture and a rich baseball history. Almost every day I go to Giants comments section and it is filled with Dodgers and Padres fans who wish they had it this good. Chill.
I’m predicting the Angels end up in SacTown, bringing balance back to the north
Fentanyl Park
Antifa Park at the waterfront.
Stop it, you're killing me! Hilarious!
I grew up in Salt Lake City, but I spent the '80s in Portland. Either city is a good choice, but I've got to go with Portland on this one. Not only is Portland larger, but Salt Lake just got an NHL team and was awarded a second bid for the Winter Olympics, so Salt Lake already has a lot going on and Portland really needs this!
I have heard this talk for well over 30 years...if this does really happen make the transportation and parking will be a priority
In my opinion, it would be better for major league baseball to add two teams in the Carolinas (over 16 million people in NC and SC, so Charlotte and Raleigh can each have a team) and a team in Nashville (over 7 million people in Tennessee). The population of Oregon is less than 4½ million. It would be absurd to put a second team in the Pacific Northwest while the far-more populous South (not counting Florida and Texas) has only one team. Also, population of Oregon is decreasing while the population of NC, SC, and TN are growing at among the fastest rates in the USA.
What do you base that statistic on? Per US census, Oregon in 2000: 3.4 million. 2010: 3.8 million. 2020: 4.2 million. Estimated to be the same in 2023, now apparently growing again after the covid lull.
@@basiluzzo2020 population: 4,237,256
2023 population (estimated): 4,233,358
That is actually small decline in population from 2020 until 2023.
Population of other states in consideration for MLB teams (2023 estimates):
North Carolina: 10,835,491
South Carolina: 5,373,555
(combined population of NC and SC is over 16.2 million)
Tennessee: 7,126,489
Those are population figures far exceeding Oregon and all three of those states are growing at among the fastest rates in the USA.
Team Portland
Can we name the team the Portland Wet Sox?
Green Sox but i love the history of the Mavericks
Boston has the Red Sox, Chicago has The White Sox and Portland will have The Blue Sox!! ☺️💙😎💙☺️
There's no infrastructure in South Waterfront with only one lane roads going in and out. Traffic congestion would be a nightmare.
Should give Newark NJ a team
Portland also needs to worry about a potential third team in Texas.
I would like to see Nashville get an expansion MLB team
"Willamette" "Dammit"
Isn’t that site right in the middle of a flood plain? Portland is kinda known for its rain.
No. Yes for rain not for flood plain. Even if it was a risk with large storms that’s why there are engineers in place to handle that
The 1996 Portland flood would have caused minor street flooding into the Zidell site. I worked on the OHSU South Waterfront facilities next to the Zidell site and did significant planning on flood risk and mitigation there. The risk of flooding is present, but minimal and rare. Not an issue.
Diamondbacks should relocate to Portland, Oregon to the new project site in Downtown Portland and they would be called the Portland Diamondbacks they would still be in the National League West division and still be part of Major League Baseball
If the MLB expands to 32 teams, don't they have to add one more division to the current divisions from 3 to 4 divisions, like the NFL's division format?
(North, South, East, & West)
I don't see if any of these expansion teams would be a sixth team in a 5-team division.
I've wondered that.
I see Nashville in the NL East. Utah in the AL West. Maybe...
Naah. San Antonio or Austin, so that California and Texas each have three teams. And move the low-attendance Angels to Salt Lake City.
The Lloyd Center is not downtown. It's on the NE side of town
Splitting hairs? I mean, I guess the Moda Center isn’t downtown either? Cmon…
@@MichaelRegan No, it's not, not even close. It's 2 miles away and on the other side of a large river. Anything east of the river maybe central but isn't downtown. But agree with you that it's all academic and tangential to the topic.
Near the water sounds like disaster. Isnt it cold in that area a lot? Usually inland is more popular for traveling , etc
No it the gorge that cools everything
Late spring, summer and early fall in Portland is really beautiful. We get some seriously hot weather in the summer and then it's really nice to be on the water! That site on the Willamette would be one of the most picturesque in all of MLB, with views of Mt Hood from the upper deck of the park. I would buy season's tix for sure.
Portland is right up there with Oakland in terms of being a dump. No team should move there until they get their act together.
Will-Am-Eht
(Is how the locals pronounce it)
I can already visualize this place way better than the spot the White Sox money laundering scheme wants to move to, even without a lame, sleazy Reinsdork publicity stunt. A bridge overlooking one side of the outfield and the possibility for splashdowns on the other is such a fantastic backdrop for a ballpark.
Can we have a Lumberjack version of Rusty? Keep Portland Weird
Logger
Sorry, The Timbers already have Timber Joey ... an actual lumberjack. ruclips.net/video/Po_9wS9FMhc/видео.html
If they're gonna spend money to bring in another professional team, they need to make it worth it and bring the NFL to Portland.
I see this group of four potential expansion/relocation cities being lightyears ahead of the rest:
- Portland
- Nashville
- Montreal
- Sacramento/Oakland (if Giants are only NorCal team)
How is Montreal light years ahead of SLC? Do they even have a potential ownership group? Land to build the stadium on? Or even $900 million to throw at a team right now? No they don’t. People need to give up this dream that the mlb is going back to Montreal because it’s not going to happen.
@@rapalbumdepot7648 Nashville, Montreal, Utah, Portland is probably the order of likeliest cities to get a next team.
@@curtis1997 SLC = road trip from hell for players and fans alike, zero Internet presence, can't host all star game, you are a bot, etc etc
None of these cities will get any expansion teams, but a few could be relocation solutions for several current teams who need new homes.
@@ki2726 Utah isn't a city.
(@ki2726
4 days ago
@rapalbumdepot7648 Nashville, Montreal, Utah, Portland is probably the order of likeliest cities to get a next team.)
PDP should acquire the A’s. Green and Gold are the colors of Portland’s teams, it would keep them on the West Coast, and is much closer to getting them a ballpark than Vegas.
Same colors as the Timbers, who they will be in competition with for fans
@@nochepatada fans are not zero sum, or you would never have multiple team markets. People can be both Soccer and Baseball fans
@@jasonbaker6842 Portland is not that big of a city. Sports aren't really a big deal in Portland. I have a hard time seeing the stadium more than half full on a weekday night. Especially in a few years once the newness wears off. Timbers and Thorns do well because most of their games are on weekends
@@jasonbaker6842 someone can be fans of all those teams and not attend their games too. Except people do attend the soccer matches. And soccer and baseball are completely different sports with different fan bases. I've been to dozens of soccer games here. I dont give a shit about baseball
Public funding of some sort is strongly preferred by MLB because other owners don't want more precedent set that stadiums can and should be privately funded.
Geographically i want portland to get an MLB team
wi-lam-ette - all slurred together
Lloyd Center is NOT downtown - it's on the east side of the river which is opposite of downtown, a bit east of the Rose Quarter.
This new site does not have good access despite being split by the Ross Island Bridge and within easy sight distance of I-5. It is all surface street access, even onto the Ross Island Bridge to head east from the west side of the river.
And a view of the Marquam Bridge is not exactly ideal - better to have the view toward the river and east where you can see Mt Hood on a clear day.
Lighten up with the Lloyd Center geography lesson for our Bay Area brother… no one outside of Portlandia would ever think that’s not “downtown” on a map view.
And I think this new site looks fantastic with Tilikum Crossing right at the stadium and RIB being so tall that you could walk under the arches into the ballpark village.
I also saw a placement view that had the view lines looking straight east, as you suggested - right at Mount Hood… perfect view!
@@MichaelRegan I'd give him a hard time about Bay Area geography too, lol. I realize that the Lloyd Center site is much closer to downtown than, say, Candlestick was to downtown SF, though. ;)
I saw some site view options too and I'm curious what sort of a stadium would be built on the site, especially since we'd need a retractable roof, but it's certainly the best site the PDP have explored for a stadium.
Tilikum Crossing is important for pedestrian/bike access, but, as others note, RIB needs to be replaced and, like I said, access from I-5 NB is on some narrow surface streets - all that would need to be re-worked and likely would result in eminent domain court challenges with people & businesses being displaced. That's the biggest drawback I can see to the location and I'm not sure it's solvable. Bunch of NIMBYs will shut it down probably.
3:31 No, you didn't get it right. Last part is pronounced ( Mit )
New Orleans should have a MLB team and ya and Oakland
You were so close with Willamette lol
Pronunciation of "Willamette" no good.