HILLSBORO - The Yakima Bears are rounding the bases and heading to a new home in Hillsboro.
In just about a year, you'll be able to take yourself out to the ball game at a brand new stadium.
Bringing the team to Hillsboro has been in the works since last fall, this after the team struck out moving to Vancouver. Vancouver said no, but Hillsboro said a very big yes.
At a special session of the Hillsboro City Council Tuesday night, members approved the deal to approve a licensing contract with the team for 20 years.
The city also agreed to sell bonds to finance the $13 million to $15 million stadium. No taxpayer money will be used pay for the new complex.
The city will rent the the stadium to the team for $150,000 a year with a 3 percent yearly increase over the life of the agreement.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for this October. The stadium will be ready for play by next June for the team's 38 home games.
When the team isn't using the stadium, the city will have access for football, Lacrosse and soccer. The stadium will be built just to the south of the current Hillsboro football stadium.
"We already have the fields, we already have the infrastructure for the other stadium, so we were able to do it most efficiently," said Hillsboro Mayor Jerry Willey.
"It will have somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,500 seats, we'll have a standing room only area, and a berm that will be family-friendly where people can spread their blankets, said Mary Loftin, Community Resources Manager with Hillsboro Parks and Recreation.
Once the stadium is built it will have an annual economic impact to the city of about $5 million.
The team's move to Hillsboro still must be approved by the Northwest League, the President of Minor League Baseball and the Commissioner of Baseball. Everyone involved is confident it's a done deal.
The Yakima Bears will now have to pick a new name and put out bids for the naming rights for the new stadium
