Professional baseball and hockey – Why not Gresham?

The future of professional sports in Oregon is always a hot-topic discussion.

There is the painful — the seemingly never-ending threat of the Trail Blazers fleeing in the dead of night.

There is the joyful — the success of the Fire (women’s basketball) and Cascade (softball) in their shared debut season.

There is the speculative — positioning the state as the home for future teams like Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League.

As these conversations continue, Gresham wants a seat at the table. They think they’ve got the perfect pitch.

The vision centers on transforming the Vance Park Property into a destination entertainment venue. The headline would be something sports-related. Perhaps a stadium for a professional baseball team with a view of Mount Hood from home plate. Or an indoor hockey arena that could host a men’s or women’s professional squad, and then be used for community skate in the offseason. How about a 60,000-seat soccer stadium that would finally let Oregon get involved in the international fun.

If advocates had a magic wand, their wishes would be luxurious and sweeping. They want a sports/tournament complex; indoor ice arena; a training and performance center; an entertainment venue; spaces and amenities for youth sports; hotels; restaurants; retail shops; mixed-use buildings; and residential units.

Hearing them talk about their dreams (perhaps pipe dreams) turns cynics into believers.

“I care about Oregon, I care about Portland, and I care about Gresham,” said Lynn Lashbrook, a long-time sports agent and the driving force behind all this. “We need to start thinking bigger as a region.”

To know Lashbrook is to love him. He talks a mile a minute, bouncing between ideas with reckless abandon and a glint in his eye. His business is based in Downtown Portland, and he’s lived in Gresham for decades. He is an avid sports fan — swing by the Growler Garage or Gresham’s Migration Brewing some evening, and you will likely find him holding court at a back table, waxing poetic about whatever game is on the television.

No one is naïve enough to think a future sports team would be named after Gresham. But in a reality where more and more professional teams are choosing the suburbs — the Chicago Bears are building a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana — having the Portland Baseball Team or Oregon Hockey Team play in Gresham is sounding more and more reasonable.

“The new narrative should be talking about, ‘Greater Portland,’” Lashbrook said. “Sports owners and teams want space, and we have that in East County.”

This idea of professional sports in Gresham has been brewing for a long time, and has gone through many iterations and potential sites.

Initially, folks were eyeing the sprawling complex at the former Gresham Kmart, an idea that energized former Mayor Shane Bemis, who invited folks out to stand on the roof and see the potential laid out before them.

The Vance Property is a better fit. Located between Stark and Division Street to the north and south, and 182nd and 190th to the east and west, it is one of the largest undeveloped areas of East Multnomah County. Add to that plenty of space for parking, easy access to the interstate system, public transit in the form of buses and the MAX Blue Line, and relatively close proximity to the Portland International Airport.

The county has nearly 90 acres of the site. When you add in two privately owned parcels, Knife River’s defunct quarry and the Winters Family-owned sand and gravel pit, the total could equate to nearly 240 acres.

All three stakeholders have not agreed to any of this. The county has not voiced any interest in professional sports, nor have the two private property owners publicly stated their intention to sell.

Multnomah County has been mulling its own ideas for Vance for just as long as Lashbrook. The most recent firm plan was put forward in 2022. It was called “Vance Vision.” It followed closely what surveys have shown folks in Rockwood want:

Current Gresham leadership has been supportive.

Mayor Travis Stovall has known Lashbrook for many years. The two are united through their shared home of Kansas City.

“Professional sports is a desire that we have had here in Gresham and the East Side for decades,” Mayor Stovall said. “From NASCAR to the possibility of MLB, there is a general openness to that for sure.”

“As with many large project aspirations, it comes down to the community economics,” he added.

For Councilor Sue Piazza, the opportunity goes beyond drawing one team or building one stadium.

“This property has potential to be a major economic catalyst for Gresham,” Piazza said. “I would love to see us think big and create a destination where people can live workplace shop and gather seven days a week.”

She also discussed assets and fields local kids and families could use — Gresham-Barlow Youth Baseball/Softball is always pushing the city’s sports infrastructure. Piazza also spoke about drawing regional youth tournaments, college sports, and more. An arena for hockey or basketball could also host concerts and other entertainment.

“Making a complete district with housing, restaurants, parks, community spaces, small business and large employers a community center we could create something truly special almost a city within our city,” she said.

The most recent designs were created by Sean Bolden. Lashbrook pulled him into the conversation to help build out some ideas. Bolden has gone beyond just designs, also penciling out potential financing, sponsorships, and partnership outreach.

One of the most exciting ideas is the ice complex. Bolden envisions two sheets of NHL regulation ice, with a bar/grill in between, spaces for tenants on the lower and second level, multiple locker rooms, and offices.

That could not only entice professional men and women’s hockey, but also draw the Winterhawks out east.

There are other partnerships that could occur outside the top level of sports. The Rip City Remix, the Trail Blazers NBA G League affiliate, currently leases the court at the University of Portland. The Portland Cascade play at Hillsboro Stadium. The Portland Pickles at Lents Park, which also hosts the Portland Bangers and Cherry Bombers.

“The hope is (we) can woo a financier to make all of this tangible instead of just an idea,” Bolden said. “But (we) need fearless people to step up.”

“The greater Portland area can’t drag its feet,” he added.