PORTLAND, Ore. — Baseball and softball players at Portland's Leodis V. McDaniel High School may finally be able to play games on their home turf this fall. The Northeast Portland school's ball fields were rebuilt nearly two years ago, but a design flaw has kept the brand-new diamonds off-limits.
Newly released records indicate PPS has hired a contractor to fix the issue, at a cost of $750,000. The no-bid contract with a NETServices, obtained through a public records request, shows the Washington-based company will replace the field fence with new polls and a tension netting system.
Work on the project is scheduled to begin on July 26. Crews hope to have the renovations completed by August 12, according to district spokesperson Valerie Feder.
McDaniel High School — formerly Madison High School — re-opened in September 2021 following a roughly $240 million dollar renovation that included new theaters, common areas and athletic facilities.
But a KGW investigation earlier this year found that at some point after the project wrapped up, the district realized that the fields had been rebuilt with netting and padding that didn't allow balls to bounce off, creating safety concerns and shortening the fields, making them unsuitable for games.
The new tension netting will allow balls to bounce off them and stay in the field of play, similar to an outfield wall in many professional baseball stadiums.
The original design plans submitted by Opsis Architecture to the city of Portland for permitting show a short cement retaining wall planned for the south side of the ball field. The designs also include photos and descriptions of the netting and fencing to be installed.
Opsis Architecture did not respond KGW’s email requesting comment on the project.
Portland Public Schools hoped to have the fencing replaced by late 2022 or early 2023, but staffing issues forced the original contractor to pull out of the project before a formal contract was signed, the district explained in an email to KGW.
NETServices agreed to do the job in January. The company expected to have the renovations completed by early May, but supply chain issues and labor shortages slowed the project — yet again.
Funding for the replacement netting and poles comes from the 2017 school bond within the McDaniel Modernization budget, said Feder, so the $750,000 will not come from other projects.