Beaverton stadium negotiations suspended

Earlier today Portland Beavers owner Merritt Paulson notified Beaverton city officials of his intention to suspend negotiations for a new stadium in Beaverton. As detailed in a letter sent to Beaverton officials, it has become clear that a stadium site cannot be secured, nor is there adequate time for the entire process to move ahead with a public vote.

While this is no doubt a very disappointing development, the Oregon Sports Authority wishes to sincerely thank all of those who contributed your time, energy and passion to this campaign over the past two months. While the ultimate outcome is clearly not what we had all hoped for, our campaign did make one thing very clear: baseball fans, along with business and community leaders throughout the metro area, truly recognize the value of the Portland Beavers to our region. With that in mind, the Oregon Sports Authority will continue to serve a leadership role in working to ensure the future of minor league baseball in the Portland area.

Below is a statement from Merritt Paulson regarding the future of the Beavers and Major League Soccer in Portland:

”I remain fully committed to finalizing the agreement with the City of Portland to bring Major League Soccer to Portland in 2011. I am disappointed that after exploring three specific stadium locations and making long-term financial commitments to help fund each facility that we’ve been unable to secure a new home for the Beavers. The Beavers will play next season at PGE Park and I will continue to assess all the options available to find a new home for the Beavers.”

— Merritt Paulson