After leasing increasing amounts of training space over nearly 15 years, the Portland Timbers are taking a big step.

Last month, the professional soccer club purchased the 13-acre property where its training facility sits, at 6220 S.W. 112th Ave. in Beaverton. Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD), which had been sharing with the Timbers a building on the site, sold it for $25 million.

“This is an exciting moment for THPRD and a win-win for the community,” THPRD Board President Alfredo Moreno stated in a press release. “We are proud to support the Timbers’ efforts to expand their Beaverton training facilities and deepen community connections as they work to bring home another MLS Cup trophy.”

Ashley Highsmith, the Timbers’ chief operating officer, said the site purchase was something that club owner Merritt Paulson had been thinking about for a while.

“Our team is continuing to grow and get bigger,” Highsmith said. “We want to make sure we have a training facility that is available for our club to continue to grow and perform at a high level.”

The Timbers began leasing space in THPRD’s building on the property in 2011, with 6,000 square feet. They increased that amount to 8,600 square feet in 2015 and then 24,000 square feet in 2017. The latter expansion provided a new weight room, a film theater, a full-service kitchen, a media room, improved treatment spaces, and more.

Following the purchase, the club can use the entire 90,000-square-foot building, which will be renamed the Portland Timbers Performance Center.

GBD Architects has been working with the Timbers on a master plan primarily for the building’s interior; an indoor practice area and expanded player facilities are being considered. Both indoor and outdoor training spaces are being designed by GBD.

Currently, full development plans for the 13-acre footprint are being determined. Officials have already decided to increase the number of full-size training fields from two to three.

“The area that was … THPRD (space) will turn into our turf field,” Highsmith said. “Where the turf field is currently, that will be our second grass field.”

Other plans call for adding a viewing deck along one side of the building, expanding office space, and replacing the roof.

The club is in the process of finalizing details for Bernhardt Golf to serve as the general contractor for the exterior renovation; also, subcontractors are being hired. A contractor for the interior work will be selected later in the project.

“Outside is where we’re focusing first in developing this field and really making it a premier place for our team to train on,” Highsmith said.

A phased approach will be used for the field upgrades so the Timbers can maintain their training schedule. The start date for construction is not set yet.

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The city of Beaverton, still working on a stadium plan for the Portland Beavers Triple-A baseball team, has hired Don Mazziotti, former executive director of the Portland Development Commission, as its new community development director.

Mazziotti recently was a development consultant for the Beavers. The team’s owner, Merritt Paulson, is eyeing land in Beaverton on which to build a stadium.

Mazziotti said his former connection with the Beavers will in no way influence his development decisions at the city. Beaverton’s Business Development Services Director Gary Brentano will remain the city’s point person for the stadium project, Mazziotti said.

“I just plan to do a lot of listening and a lot of learning,” Mazziotti added.

Amy Miner, public information manager for the city of Beaverton, said Mazziotti will play a major role in urban renewal and downtown redevelopment efforts. The ballpark would be a part of the larger revitalization effort, she said.

Mazziotti applied for the community development director position on July 20, he said. His last day as a consultant for Gallatin Public Affairs was July 29.

There were 83 applicants for the position, Miner said.

One of the reasons Mazziotti was hired, Miner said, is because he has more than 35 years of development experience. Mazziotti replaces city planner Steven Sparks, who had served as the interim community development director for two years.

Mazziotti also belongs to a number of boards, some as a paid member. He does not plan to step down from any of those positions once he starts his new job on Sept. 28.

The post Ex-PDC executive director will lead Beaverton development appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Beaverton has a new community development director, and it’s a familiar name for the city, still in the midst of contemplating how it could become the new home for the Portland Beavers Triple-A baseball stadium.

The city of Beaverton today announced that Don Mazziotti, the former executive director of the Portland Development Commission, would become the new head of Beaverton’s development department.

Most recently, he acted as a development consultant for the Portland Beavers Triple-A baseball team, as the Beavers’ owner Merritt Paulson began eyeing land in Beaverton for the development of a new Triple-A baseball stadium.

Mazziotti said his former job as a consultant for the Beavers will in no way influence his development decisions at the city.

Those decisions will remain up to Gary Brentano, Mazziotti said. Brentano is Beaverton’s business development services director and is the point person at the city for the stadium project.

“I just plan to do a lot of listening and a lot of learning,” Mazziotti said.

Amy Miner, public information manager for Beaverton, said Mazziotti would play a major role in urban renewal efforts and redeveloping downtown Beaverton. The ballpark would be a part of the larger revitalization effort, Miner said.

Mazziotti said he had his sights on the position before his last day as a consultant for the Gallatin Public Affairs, which was July 29.  Mazziotti applied for the community development director position on July 20, he said.

There were 83 applicants for the position, Miner said.

According to the city of Beaverton, Mazziotti was hired because he brings more than 35 years of development experience to the position. In taking the position, Mazziotti replaces Steven Sparks, who had operated as the interim community development director for two years.

Mazziotti also belongs to a number of boards as a paid member and does not plan to step down once he starts his new position on Sept. 28.

The post Former Beavers’ stadium consultant is Beaverton’s new development director appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

In what must feel like a case of deja vu, Merritt Paulson‘s minor league baseball team is again searching for a potential site for a baseball stadium in Beaverton.

Working with Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle, the Beavers were eying BG Plaza on Cedar Hills Boulevard as the team’s new home, even going so far as to release a rendering of what the stadium might look like. But a Friday afternoon meeting arranged by Washington County’s Tom Brian sidetracked the plan, at least as it hinged on talk that the city would try to condemn the property, which is owned by the Biggi family.

The city’s decision to set aside talk of condemnation hinged, in part, on the testimony of 14 tenants of the Plaza, which the Biggi family says is 85 percent leased. Some of the Plaza’s tenants said they would be hard pressed to find other retail and office locations in Beaverton that offered the same combination of affordability and visibility as their current location.

A press release issued by the Biggis indicates they’ve agreed to take a closer look at the proposed stadium and will work with the city “… to help bring the Beavers to Beaverton at an alternate site.”

The post Merritt Paulson strikes out at BG Plaza in Beaverton appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

In what must feel like a case of deja vu, Merritt Paulson‘s minor league baseball team is again searching for a potential site for a baseball stadium in Beaverton.

Working with Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle, the Beavers were eying BG Plaza on Cedar Hills Boulevard as the team’s new home, even going so far as to release a rendering of what the stadium might look like. But a Friday afternoon meeting arranged by Washington County’s Tom Brian sidetracked the plan, at least as it hinged on talk that the city would try to condemn the property, which is owned by the Biggi family.

The city’s decision to set aside talk of condemnation hinged, in part, on the testimony of 14 tenants of the Plaza, which the Biggi family says is 85 percent leased. Some of the Plaza’s tenants said they would be hard pressed to find other retail and office locations in Beaverton that offered the same combination of affordability and visibility as their current location.

A press release issued by the Biggis indicates they’ve agreed to take a closer look at the proposed stadium and will work with the city “… to help bring the Beavers to Beaverton at an alternate site.”

The post Merritt Paulson strikes out at BG Plaza in Beaverton appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

I was having coffee this morning with Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle and Portland Beavers owner Merritt Paulson, and we were chatting about moving the Triple-A baseball team from Portland to Beaverton.

Oh wait, no, we weren’t. For all of the cheerleading being done first by Doyle and now by about how great the Beavers would be for the Westside ‘burb, the two so far have shown little interest in talking to Beaverton residents — and yes, I’m one of them — to see if they agree.

From what I’ve heard around town, Doyle and Paulson do have some support. But there are just as many people who seem to have an alternate suggestion for where Paulson should put his baseball team. Let’s just say the location is someplace that isn’t appropriate to mention on this blog.

The post Is Beaverton a place ‘where the sun don’t shine?’ appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

I was having coffee this morning with Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle and Portland Beavers owner Merritt Paulson, and we were chatting about moving the Triple-A baseball team from Portland to Beaverton.

Oh wait, no, we weren’t. For all of the cheerleading being done first by Doyle and now by about how great the Beavers would be for the Westside ‘burb, the two so far have shown little interest in talking to Beaverton residents — and yes, I’m one of them — to see if they agree.

From what I’ve heard around town, Doyle and Paulson do have some support. But there are just as many people who seem to have an alternate suggestion for where Paulson should put his baseball team. Let’s just say the location is someplace that isn’t appropriate to mention on this blog.

The post Is Beaverton a place ‘where the sun don’t shine?’ appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.