So long, Portland Beavers. Hello ... Beaverton Beavers?
Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle is pitching his city as an ideal setting for minor league baseball should the Triple-A Beavers leave Portland.
And team owner Merritt Paulson is interested -- especially as hope and political will dwindle to keep the Beavers in Portland -- their city for 94 of the past 106 years.
"I believe a Beaverton home for the Beavers could present a tremendous fit for both the local community and our organization," Paulson said in a letter to Doyle. "The venue impact both from an economic and community perspective would be significant for Beaverton."
Conversations between Paulson and Beaverton turned formal last week when Doyle expressed interest in writing. City leaders say the former Westgate Theatre, next to the Round at Beaverton Central, has emerged as a possible stadium site.
Beaverton and Metro, the regional government, own the property. It's on the light-rail line and has some structured parking serving the Round, a transit-oriented development of offices, retail spaces and condos that remains half-finished after a dozen years.
"If Portland is unable to find a suitable location for the team, we'd like to be considered as a potential regional solution to not only keep the Beavers in Oregon but in the immediate Portland metropolitan area," Doyle said in a statement released Tuesday. Doyle is in France and was unavailable to take questions. ....
-- Mark Larabee;
marklarabee@news.oregonian.com
