The former home of the Eugene Emeralds caught fire Monday afternoon.
BY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
The former home of the Eugene Emeralds caught fire Monday afternoon and the structure’s dry wood constitution allowed the flames to spread quickly.
Police evacuated a two-block radius from Civic Stadium as the fire completely destroyed the historical site.
Among those in shock at the unfolding scene were Eugene Civic Alliance leaders, who worked for years to secure the stadium from the city of Eugene and Eugene School District. The alliance had plans to convert the stadium so it could be used for soccer and other sports.
“We’re really heartbroken,” said Derek Johnson, the alliance’s co-founder, at the scene. “It’s a hard day.”
(SOURCE: Register-Guard)
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Johnson says he has not completely given up on making the site work for his organization.
“We need to step back and look at the potential the site has going forward,” he said.
And that, he said, means making the best of a bad situation, and eventually moving forward, perhaps on a reimagined project.
(SOURCE: OregonLive.com)
