Watch the full interview on KGW’s Straight Talk this Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
Last week, the group trying to bring a Major League Baseball team to Portland made one of its biggest moves yet, announcing that Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and singer Ciara were investing in the effort.
The celebrity couple are the first investors in the Portland Diamond Project to go public and their involvement made headlines around the country.
This week, Portland Diamond Project's Mike Barrett joined Laural Porter on KGW’s Straight Talk to discuss the latest on the push for an MLB team in the Rose City.
Watch Part 1 of Barrett's interview:
Watch Part 2:
Show me the money
Barrett estimates it will cost about $1.2 billion just to build a stadium, not to mention the additional cost of bringing a team to Portland. We asked Barrett, who is putting up the money?
Location, location, location
We know about three confirmed sites under consideration for a stadium. We asked about the fourth location in Portland that Russell Wilson first mentioned.
Political challenges
A project called Albina Vision works to invest in the African-American community that was displaced from neighborhoods near the Rose Quarter. We discussed the challenges of making sure the vision of the Portland Diamond Project lines up with the community’s vision of what that neighborhood should be.
A stadium with a view
Terminal 2 along the Willamette River in industrial Northwest Portland is the latest potential site floated for a stadium. We talked with Barrett about the location he describes as “unbelievable.”
The design
What would a stadium in Portland look like? Barrett said they have 100 renderings of potential stadium designs, including ideas to maximize the Willamette River in a waterfront design.
Don’t get played
There have been concerns that struggling franchises in Oakland or Tampa could use the threat of moving to Portland as leverage to get stadium deals in their hometowns. We asked how the Diamond Project avoids getting used as a pawn in that game.
