FYI, the MAP Committee may want to think about how such a land use impacts not only Milwaukie but its surrounding area when we discuss economy, markets, retail, employee (loss of employment areas, gains ?):

WEBLINK (City of Milwaukie):http://www.ci.milwaukie.or.us/…..-milwaukie

 BRING IT BACK! Learn more about the City's ideas that would bring baseball to Milwaukie
Milwaukie City Council is holding three listening posts throughout the community to give residents several opportunities to speak directly with the Council about its goal of bringing professional baseball to Milwaukie and back to the Portland-metro region.

The three listening posts will be held:
Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, Ardenwald Elementary School Cafeteria, 6 – 7p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011, Milwaukie Elementary School Cafeteria, 6 – 7p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011,Linwood Elementary School Cafeteria, 6 – 7p.m.

“City Council believes that pro baseball is going to come back to the area and we think by bringing it to Milwaukie, we would be bringing family-friendly entertainment to town that would be a tremendous boost to our local economy,” said Mayor Jeremy Ferguson. "But as I and the rest of the Council have promised, we will only go forward after we've heard from our residents and if it's possible for the project to fit the needs of Milwaukie. These listening posts will give our residents a chance to talk to us directly about their hopes and concerns about bringing professional baseball to town."

The hour-long listening posts will be moderated and designed to give Milwaukie residents a chance to communicate their concerns and ideas about the "Bring it Back" project to Council members. A short presentation providing some background on the effort will be made at the beginning of each listening post and Council members will be there primarily to listen. A report on the three listening posts will be delivered to the full Council later this year.

City Council authorized contracts to hire consultants to further study the project at its Oct. 4, 2011 Council Meeting, and directed staff to actively engage the citizenry to learn its concerns and attitudes regarding the project.

Update 9/27/11: In its aspiration to land a minor league baseball team, the City Council heard a recommendation at its Sept. 20th Work Session to assemble a team of communication and design professionals to advance the baseball concept on the ODOT site in the North Industrial area. At its Oct. 4th meeting, Council will be asked to approve contracts that will launch the advisory team.

The team includes an architecture firm that will conduct site and building feasibility studies, a project management firm with expertise in public/private sports facility construction, and a communications firm with experience raising money for minor league baseball stadiums.

“Council has been out in the community and continues to hear excitement about the Bring It Back campaign, but also a lot of questions,” said Kenny Asher, the City’s Director of Community Development and Public Works. “The council recognizes that the best chances for success, and the best information for the community, will come through an advisors that have successfully completed this kind of deal before.”

The project is being designed in phases so Council can end the effort at different intervals based on feasibility findings. Project costs will be mostly absorbed in the Community Development budget, which is where the city funds economic development activities.
 

Update 9/15/11: In an effort to spread the word about City Council's efforts to bring minor league baseball to Milwaukie, and to get a feel for what residents think about the idea, City Councilors and the City's Community Development Director visited the Sept. 12, 2011 Historic Milwaukie Neighborhood Association Meeting, and the Sept. 13, 2011 Ardenwald/Johnson Creek Neighborhood Association meeting.

Council Joe Loomis attended the Historic Milwaukie meeting, while Councilor Dave Hedges attended the Ardenwald/Johnson Creek meeting. Both councilors talked about the narrow window of opportunity that opened when the Portland Beavers left the Portland metro market, leaving the region without professional baseball.

They shared their views that minor league baseball could stimulate other revitalization efforts in town and explained that the people of Milwaukie would ultimately need to approve the conceptand that they’ve directed staff to bring together the best team they can to put forth the best concept possible to respond to this unique opportunity.

If you have thoughts you'd like to share, please send them to Public Affairs Coordinator Grady Wheeler, at wheelerg@ci.milwaukie.or.us.
 

UPDATED 8/17/11: Officers from Milwaukie’s Neighborhood District Associations sat down with City Council at the August 16, 2011 Work Session to learn more about the effort to bring professional baseball to the City’s North Industrial Area.

Mayor Ferguson explained to the Neighborhood leaders that the idea stems from trying to create greater economic activity in the City and trying to establish an attraction in Milwaukie without adding a lot of density. Asked where the City was in its overall efforts, the Mayor explained that it is still very early in the process and that the City is currently looking at different firms that could lend expertise to the City’s effort. He emphasized that it will be up to the community as to how far this venture will go.

He explained a task force will eventually be formed, and asked the Neighborhood leaders to help spread the word.

Through the course of the conversation, the Mayor explained the facility’s primary use would be for baseball, but the idea is to have it accommodate other uses that bring as much community benefit as possible.

As for what the cost might be to the Milwaukie taxpayer for a stadium that costs $20 – $30 million, Mayor Ferguson said this is very much undetermined as the private-public partnerships have yet to be developed.
 

Update 8/11/11: Milwaukie’s Mayor Jeremy Ferguson met with Portland Mayor Sam Adams to outline Milwaukie’s efforts to bring Minor League baseball back to the Portland Metro-Area on Monday, Aug. 8, 2011.

Mayor Adams is supportive of the “BRING IT BACK” effort, and agreed to lend some assistance. Specifically, Mayor Adams said he would commit City of Portland staff resources with expertise in facilities development to help Milwaukie put together its proposal to land a minor league baseball franchise.

Another subject of focus was coordinating land use and transportation planning between the two cities in the future Tacoma Light Rail station area, where the potential site is located. Mayor Adams also expressed an interest in reviewing the baseball finance plan when it is completed.

Update 8/3/11: Milwaukie City Council enthusiastically encouraged staff to continue pursuing its goal of bringing baseball to Milwaukie and back to the Portland-Metro region at its Aug. 2, 2011 Council meeting.

“I strongly support the idea of a baseball stadium in the location that we’re looking at right now,” Mayor Jeremy Ferguson said.

While all five Councillors back the idea, they all suggested it will be the residents of Milwaukie who will be the real drivers of the effort.

"I really believe this can happen," Councilor Loomis said. "We have a fantastic location … but the citizens are going to ultimately be the reason this happens or doesn’t happen.”

“We definitely need the community involvement,” Mayor Ferguson said.
 

Press Clips
The Oregonian, August 26, 2011: Light rail and baseball ignite developers' interest in Milwaukie's north industrial area
http://www.oregonlive.com/milw….._area.html

Vancouver Business Journal, August 3, 2011: Baseball fever hits Milwaukie
http://www.vbjusa.com/2011/08/…..milwaukie/

CSNW.COM: Minor-league baseball in Milwaukie?
http://www.csnnw.com/pages/lan…..eedID=9757

The Oregonian, August 1, 2011: Rx for a summer without baseball
http://www.oregonlive.com/opin…..aseba.html 

The Oregonian, July 31, 2011: Milwaukie takes serious steps to lure minor league baseball
http://www.oregonlive.com/milw….._city.html

Supporting Documents
BRING IT BACK Baseball Brochure
Findings for Approving Class Exemption. .Our Community
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