The official groundbreaking has taken place on a new $120 million stadium for the Hillsboro Hops, the culmination of a years-long battle to finance a new baseball stadium and keep the team in Oregon.
Fans, donors and Hops employees all flocked to the construction site, right next to Ron Tonkin Field, where the Hops currently play. The Hops are a High-A affiliate, the third-highest minor league baseball division, of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“I want to tell you how much we appreciate all of you and your support in this multi-year commitment,” team owner Mike McMurray told the audience.
KL Wombacher, President and General Manager of Hillsboro Hops, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hops’ new stadium on August 8, 2024.
Joni Land / OPB
The atmosphere was exuberant, but many of those present admitted that it might never have happened.
Financing the new stadium required significant investment from the team and millions in contributions from the government. The team itself is contributing $82 million, most of which comes from bonds backed by the stadium’s future revenues.
The Hops also received $18 million from the City of Hillsboro in future lodging taxes, $8 million from Washington County and $2 million from Explore Tualatin Valley, a local nonprofit that promotes tourism in the area.
The final funding component came from a $15 million appropriation by the Oregon State Legislature, approved just days before a Major League Baseball deadline that threatened the team’s future in Hillsboro.
MLB had required the Hops to upgrade their current stadium, which lacked female umpire locker rooms and a weight training room. Hops management said building a new stadium was their only option.
Hillsboro Hops officials break ground on the team’s new stadium in Hillsboro, Oregon, on August 8, 2024. The team will play in the stadium in 2026.
Joni Land / OPB
Speaking to reporters at the groundbreaking ceremony, Hops President and General Manager KL Wombacher said he was happy that the team could finally focus on the new stadium.
“It’s a huge relief,” said Wombacher. “There were a few moments when it was on the brink.”
Not every minor league team can afford a new ballpark. The Eugene Emeralds had asked residents to approve a $15 million bond for a new stadium at the Lane County Fairgrounds – voters overwhelmingly rejected the request, and the team has announced it will likely relocate.
Public funding of sports stadiums has been a controversial issue for years. Clubs and league officials argue that new stadiums can lead to a local economic boom, but some economists say these claims are often exaggerated.
The Hops expect to be playing in the new stadium by 2026.
The City of Hillsboro will continue to operate and own Ron Tonkin Field.
This 2023 rendering from design team Mortenson, SRG and Populous shows plans for a new Hillsboro Hops stadium that will remain at its current location for the team.
Courtesy of Hillsboro Hops
