Even as civic leaders in Portland, Oregon, prepare a bid for an expansion Major League Baseball franchise, professional baseball in the city's suburbs now has a secure future. On March 7, 2024, the Oregon State Legislature approved the final $15 million in funding for the Hillsboro Hops' new municipally owned stadium next door to the team's current home, Ron Tonkin Field.
“This news means that the Hops are staying in Hillsboro with a new, year-round ballpark, where our community will all be able to gather for decades to come,” said Hillsboro Hops President and General Manager K.L. Wombacher in a release. “On behalf of our team, I’d like to enthusiastically thank the Oregon Legislature, as well as our many business and community champions, and most importantly, our fans who raised their voices for the Hops. We are humbled by your support, and we can’t wait to kick off another season together on April 5 and celebrate our shared future.”
The new ballpark, home to the Arizona Diamondbacks' Class-A Northwest League affiliate, will cost approximately $125 million to build, with $82 million in private funding, $18 million from the City of Hillsboro, $8 million from Washington County (OR), and $2 million from the Explore Tualatin Valley visitors' organization. The City of Hillsboro will own and manage the stadium, located approximately 14 miles west of downtown Portland.
Notwithstanding Tonkin Field's relative youth (it opened in 2013) and good reviews, the Hops needed to make significant renovations to comply with Major League Baseball's facility standards for its 120 affiliated minor league teams. For instance, minor league stadiums must have women's locker rooms for players, coaches, and umpires. Additionally, visiting teams do not have a clubhouse at Tonkin Field and must use a locker room at the neighboring football stadium. Studies concluded that construction of a new stadium would cost approximately 15 percent less than renovating Tonkin Field.
The new stadium will be located just to the northwest side of Tonkin Field, in Hillsboro's Gordon Faber Recreation Complex. It will be designed as a year-round entertainment venue, with a capacity of 6,000 for baseball and 7,000 for concerts.
Groundbreaking for the new stadium is scheduled to happen this summer, opening before the start of the 2026 season.
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