An artist rendering of a possible previous baseball stadium in the Portland area. The search for a ballpark location to help bring MLB to Portland has included the Lloyd Center and Beaverton’s RedTail Golf Center and now the Zidell Yards on the Portland waterfront.

The search for a ballpark location to help bring Major League Baseball to Portland has been narrowed down to the Lloyd Center in downtown Portland and Beaverton’s RedTail Golf Center, according to a recent report.

Local sports columnist and radio host John Canzano reported late last month on the proposed sites after obtaining a series of emails between the Portland Diamond Project and Portland city officials.

The Portland Diamond Project has been working to bring MLB to Portland since 2018. While the group has not yet achieved its goal, the project is gaining traction, as Canzano’s reports show recent backing from the Portland mayor’s office.

While the Portland Diamond Project declined to comment on their current plans — a spokesperson told Pamplin Media Group: “it’s too soon to share details regarding either proposed location” — Canzano claims the group hopes to reach a deal on the proposal by the end of the year.

“Email exchanges between Portland city officials and Portland Diamond Project executives provide the framework. The sides are working toward a formal ‘letter of intent’ that could give the MLB effort control of one or both properties,” Canzano said in his report.

While the Lloyd Center has been a rumored destination for ballpark sites, talks of the RedTail golf course are relatively new. The 18-hole golf course sits on 163 acres of property in near Garden Home-Whitford and is a more suburban alternative to the other proposed site.

Golf at RedTail has been a mainstay of the Beaverton area community since 1968, and talks of expansion may elicit residential contention. RedTail general manager Craig Zimmerman estimates that the RedTail facility receives roughly 350,000 annual visits between its driving range, club fittings, lessons, pro shop sales and rounds of golf.

Explicit talks of logistics behind building a stadium on RedTail have not yet been released. The course is property of the city of Portland, and the Parks & Recreation department stated they have no confirmation or knowledge of these plans.

“Our bureau has seen some articles but is unaware of RedTail Golf Course being a potential site for a stadium,” said Mark Ross, Portland Parks and Recreation spokesperson.

If the Portland Diamond Project decides to proceed with RedTail as their ballpark site, the group would also be required to buy out the remaining 19 years of the course’s property lease.

While neither city officials nor the Portland Diamond Project have released official statements, it’s becoming increasingly clear that both parties are hedging to bring professional baseball to Portland. However, whether said efforts will be successful remains in the air.

MLB commissioner Ron Manfred has confirmed Portland as an expansion candidate but claims ballpark disputes in Oakland and Tampa Bay must be resolved before expansion begins.