Medford Weighs $500,000 Ballpark Feasibility Study
The Medford City Council will discuss a feasibility study for a new Minor League Baseball ballpark to host the relocating Eugene Emeralds.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Baseball
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The Medford City Council is scheduled to discuss on November 18 a $500,000 feasibility study examining whether Hawthorne Park could host a new Minor League Baseball ballpark. The Eugene Emeralds are relocating after failing to meet MLB's new facility standards for Minor League Baseball.
Why it matters
The Emeralds have faced problems meeting MLB's new Minor League Baseball facility standards that took effect in 2025, and voters previously rejected the team's plan for a ballpark on Lane County fairgrounds land. The study could determine whether Medford becomes the team's new home in Oregon.
The feasibility study carries a $500,000 price tag and projects a new ballpark costing between $60 million and $130 million. Voters approved a hotel tax hike of up to 2 percent in November 2025 to back the nearby Creekside Quarter development.
The players
Eugene Emeralds
The Eugene Emeralds are a Minor League Baseball team relocating from Eugene, Oregon, after failing to meet new MLB facility standards.
DLR Group
DLR Group is an architecture and engineering firm preparing the feasibility study for the proposed Medford ballpark.
KNO Construction LLC
KNO Construction LLC is a construction firm co-preparing the feasibility study for the proposed Medford ballpark.
Medford Urban Renewal Agency
The Medford Urban Renewal Agency is a local public body co-funding the study and overseeing the Creekside Quarter development district.
The details
DLR Group and KNO Construction LLC are preparing the study, which will provide a rough ballpark design and preliminary cost estimate for Hawthorne Park, part of the Creekside Quarter district. The study will also assess whether Harry & David Field can meet MiLB standards and note that PK Park lacks a visitors clubhouse, food-prep facilities, and training spaces.
Timeline
November 2025: Voters approved the local hotel tax hike backing Creekside Quarter.
2025: MLB's new Minor League Baseball facility standards took effect.
November 6: The plan will be presented to the public.
November 18: Medford City Council is scheduled to discuss the feasibility study.
Roadmap
The Emeralds' search for a new home reflects MLB's 2025 Minor League Baseball facility standards, which have pushed teams to upgrade or relocate their ballparks. Medford's proposal tests whether a city-backed development can satisfy those standards where the team's earlier fairgrounds plan failed.
If the study supports a ballpark at Hawthorne Park, Medford could become the home of a Minor League Baseball team and the Emeralds' local fanbase would shift accordingly. Residents would also see how the hotel tax revenue and urban renewal funding are used to finance the proposal.
The takeaway
A feasibility study is an early step that tests whether a project is practical before any construction money is committed. Residents should watch the November 6 public presentation and the November 18 council discussion to see how costs and site conditions are weighed.
What happens next
The Medford City Council will discuss the feasibility study on November 18, and the plan will be presented to the public on November 6.
Further reading
For more on the sport's minor league landscape, see Baseball coverage in Medford.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Ballpark Digest.
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