Medford Council to Weigh Hawthorne Park Baseball Stadium, Commercial Fee Changes

Medford, OR. — The Medford City Council will discuss whether to take the next step toward building a minor league baseball stadium at Hawthorne Park and whether to change how the city calculates its public safety fee for businesses at a special study session Thursday, Nov. 12.

The session begins at 6 p.m. in the Medford Police Department’s Prescott Room. The public may attend, but councilors will take no votes and will not hear public comment. The city has posted the study session agenda.

Hawthorne Park emerges as likely stadium site

Councilors will hear the findings of a study that examined the cost and feasibility of building a multipurpose stadium that meets Minor League Baseball standards at either Hawthorne Park or Harry & David Field. The city said Harry & David Field is unlikely to advance because the Eugene Emeralds raised concerns about the site’s suitability.

The proposal dates to 2024, when the Eugene Emeralds’ owners approached Medford about a possible relocation. In June 2026, the council authorized up to $500,000 for KNO Construction, working with DLR Group, to study the two sites.

City staff will ask councilors whether to begin seeking a construction contract for the Hawthorne Park site and, if the project advances, how to pay for it. The council has scheduled a public hearing for Nov. 18, when it could vote on whether to proceed or give staff further direction.

Businesses could pay different public safety fees

Medford currently charges residential and commercial customers the same $22.23 monthly Public Safety Utility Fee. In a 2025 city analysis of service calls that could be matched to an address, commercial addresses averaged 7.2 calls, compared with 1.61 at residential addresses.

The city’s Budget Stabilization Committee recommended charging businesses at different rates based on estimated vehicle trips to each location. Councilors will also discuss an annual inflation adjustment and possible changes to how the city divides public safety expenses among its funds.

If the council approves the new fee structure at a future meeting, it would take effect July 1, 2027.