Oregon votes to help pay for new baseball stadium

The picture above shows what the new stadium might look like if it is built.

(APRIL 24, 2025) Last week, Oregon senators voted 24 to 5 to support a plan to help build a new baseball stadium in Portland. The plan would give $800 million from state taxes to help pay for the stadium.

The money would not come from regular people. It would come from the income taxes of Major League Baseball players and team workers in Portland. The government will only give the money if Portland gets a professional baseball team. (There is no professional baseball team in Portland right now.)

The stadium would cost $2 billion in total. It would have 32,000 seats. It would have a roof that opens and closes. It would be built next to the Willamette River in South Portland.

Senator Daniel Bonham said, “This is a moment for us to come together and unite around an idea.” He thinks baseball can help Portland grow stronger after the pandemic. Senator Fred Girod also supports the plan. He said, “There’s absolutely no risk. It doesn’t cost the state a dime.”

But some people do not agree. Senator Cedric Hayden voted no. He said it is not fair to spend tax money on just one group. “People working at the Pendleton Roundup and Sisters Rodeo don’t get to decide how their taxes are spent,” he said.

Major League Baseball may give a new team to a city in the western U.S. by 2029. Portland hopes to get the team, but it will have to compete with other cities like Salt Lake City. 

The plan still needs to pass the state house of representatives, and the governor needs to sign it, too.