Appeared in the Register Guard on Sunday, March 8, 2009, page G2
Can Civic be saved?
Eugene should investigate the possibilities
The day may come when wrecking crews demolish Civic Stadium to allow some other use for the 10-acre property at the foot of College Hill. If that day ever arrives, people in Eugene and beyond will want to be certain that every option for the preservation, restoration and continued use of Civic Stadium had been thoroughly explored and ruled out.
The loss of the historic ballpark would be a cause for sorrow. Such a loss, accompanied by nagging regrets over having failed to investigate brighter possibilities, would be a tragedy.
The time for those investigations is now. The shadow of the wrecking ball appeared when the University of Oregon decided to build its own baseball field, PK Park, near Autzen Stadium for its reconstituted baseball program. The Eugene Emeralds, the minor league baseball team that has been Civic Stadium’s primary tenant since 1969, may follow the Ducks to PK Park next year.
A move by the Emeralds would greatly complicate Civic’s future. The Ems have helped maintain and improve the stadium over the years and make annual lease payments to its owner, the Eugene School District, of about $65,000. The school district already classifies Civic Stadium as “surplus” property; it has been incidental to the district’s educational mission since football stadiums were built at each of the district’s four high schools. Losing both its tenant and an income stream would leave the school district with no means to finance the upkeep of a depreciating asset.
The Ems have a good thing going at Civic Stadium — the team has a loyal fan base, and so does the venue. Completed in 1938, Civic is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the nation’s best places to enjoy minor league baseball. But the stadium does not meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Emeralds’ general manager says the stadium needs a new roof, bathrooms, concession areas and lights. The field’s drainage system needs an upgrade, as do the locker rooms. All this work would cost in the neighborhood of $5 million — and without improvements at Civic, PK Park beckons.
No one has $5 million handy to spend on Civic Stadium — certainly not the Eugene School District, not the Emeralds, and probably not the city of Eugene. Yet there may be ways to pay for improvements. One possibility is a plan that would finance restoration of the stadium with proceeds from the sale or development of other portions of the site.
As the owner of the property, the Eugene School District has an obligation to ensure that taxpayers obtain the maximum benefit from it. Those benefits need not be measured in strictly financial terms. The district obtained title to the property in 1938 by paying the city of Eugene $1 and agreeing that it would be used for recreational purposes. A court ruling in 2007 gave the district a free hand in the use or disposal of the property. That means the Eugene School Board can consider any type of development on any portion of the land.
Given such a wide range of motion, it would be a mistake for the board to pursue the narrow course of seeking top dollar for the 10 acres. Rather, the board should be willing to consider proposals that honor the spirit in which the property was conveyed, and that broadly serve long-term public interests.
The city of Eugene is best-equipped to develop such a proposal. A group of impassioned volunteers, Save Civic Stadium (www.savecivicstadium.org), has investigated possible uses for the property and the stadium, and the list is extensive. One particularly promising idea is to allow the Eugene Family YMCA to use two or three acres of the property for a new building next to Civic Stadium, creating a complex of complementary recreational uses. Other ideas could include a mix of housing and retail developments. The stadium itself could become home to a variety of entertainment and sporting events.
But citizens’ brainstorming can only go so far. Taking the next step forward will require the city’s planning expertise and muscle.
Developing a plan for Civic Stadium would consume some city staff resources. The plan itself, however, might entail little or no public cost — the school district would sell the property to the city or a private developer, the sales price would be recouped with income from adjacent development projects, and those projects would also generate money to finance improvements to the stadium. The Emeralds would stay in the venue that has become their home. Eugene would continue to have one of the country’s premier minor-league ball fields, a stadium that could also be used for any number of other purposes.
It might not work out. The best efforts of public agencies, private developers and local citizens might not be able to come up with a plan for Civic Stadium that adds up.
But one thing is certain: If Civic Stadium is torn down, Eugene will regret the loss. The regrets will be tinged with shame if the loss of such a tremendous asset occurs without a struggle. It’s time to get started on an investigation of all the options.