Medford, OR. — The Medford City Council voted 5-1, with one abstention, on June 3 to approve a contract worth up to $500,000 for consulting services related to the design and cost analysis of a potential professional baseball stadium.
Under the agreement, KNO Construction, working in partnership with DLR Group, will develop construction cost estimates and preliminary design concepts for a multi-purpose stadium that meets professional baseball standards at Hawthorne Park. The study will also evaluate the existing Harry & David Field site at Lithia & Driveway Fields as an alternative location.
The project scope includes site analysis, due diligence, building design, constructability reviews, and budget development. Consultants will prepare a 10% design concept for the Hawthorne Park proposal and conduct a cost and viability assessment of the Harry & David Field site.
City officials expect the analysis to be completed by mid-October 2026. Once finished, staff will present the findings and a recommendation to the City Council for consideration and direction on next steps.
The contract follows a competitive selection process. The City of Medford received six proposals from qualified architectural and design teams. KNO Construction submitted the lowest-cost proposal among the applicants.
Proposals were independently scored by city leaders and Eugene Emeralds owner D.G. Elmore. Following the scoring process, the top two firms participated in interviews before the final selection was made.
Funding for the study was previously authorized by the Medford Urban Renewal Agency Board on April 15. The board approved up to $500,000 for preliminary analysis of the proposed stadium project. The funding will be split evenly, with $250,000 transferred from the Medford Urban Renewal Agency to the City of Medford and $250,000 contributed by the Eugene Emeralds.
The study represents the latest step in evaluating whether Medford could support a professional baseball-compliant stadium and which location would provide the most viable long-term option for the project.
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