Portland still searching for just-right site for baseball stadium

It may take a little magic to find a big enough piece of property for a new minor league baseball stadium in Portland.

The land must be large enough to accommodate a 6,500- to 9,000-seat stadium and at least 1,500 parking spaces, have access to light rail and other mass transit and be centrally located.

If it’s owned by the city, all the better, because buying the 10 to 20 acres needed from a private owner would surely cost millions, although a land swap could solve that financial hurdle.

And because Portland Beavers owner Merritt Paulson is seeking public financing for the project, a viable site should also be inside one of the city’s 11 urban renewal areas.

– Excerpt from The Oregonian, June 27, 2009