MISSOULA — Everything needs maintenance over time, and in Missoula, that includes the city's baseball stadium.
The Missoula Redevelopment Agency's board of commissioners on Thursday approved roughly $212,000 in tax increment to conduct a detailed structural analysis on Ogren Park at Allegiance Field.
The approved funding also covers $108,000 to repair the stadium's HVAC system and $85,000 to repair concrete issues throughout the facility.
“All of these facilities have a certain lifespan due to wear and tear,” said MRA Director Ellen Buchanan. “This one has some more exceptional issues because of the fact it was built on wood waste.”
The stadium project was spearheaded by a group of local citizens. Their fundraising effort helped lead to the facility's construction roughly 20 years on land donated to the city.
The city has since taken ownership of the stadium.
“The property was part of a large lumber operation,” said Buchanan. “The stadium was built on what was originally the log pond used when logs were floated down the Clark Fork River and received and processed in the lumber yard. Over time, the wood waste has broken down. We've had some settlement.”
Most of the stadium sits on piles driven down to rock. But other portions of the facility, including concrete pads in the concourse, have shifted, creating a trip hazard.
Funding approved Thursday by MRA will cover the cost of repairs. It also funds a deeper structural assessment and report. The funding will come from Urban Renewal District II, which is set to sunset in the coming years.
Before it does, MRA is working to complete a list of projects within the district.
“We want that facility set up for success before URD funding goes away,” said MRA board member Melanie Brock.
Matt Ellis, president of the Missoula PaddleHeads and a long-time figure in pro baseball in Missoula, said the stadium hosted more than 100 events last year, attended by roughly 80,000 people.
This year, the stadium will also help high-school baseball find its feet, as it's a new sport in Montana.
“It's a lot more than a baseball stadium,” said Ellis. “I'm confident in the status of the ballpark from a structural standpoint.”
