Supporting existing venues and advocating for new ones is one of the Southern Oregon Sports Commission’s main areas of focus. Southern Oregon is filled with diverse venues, both man-made and natural for both traditional and non-traditional sports. As the Southern Oregon population continues to grow at a fast rate and sports tourism continues to be a main economic driver in the area, Medford and the Rogue Valley is left with venue deficiencies is many areas. The Commission does not support venues with cash donations, but in other areas such awareness campaigns or familiarization trips.
The City of Medford recognizes the importance of SOSC and the role the Commission plays in the community. The Medford 2040 Vision Task Force created a collaborative and proactive action plan for growth and development for the next 20 years and tasked SOSC to be a leading partner on one action plan item under the vision focus area of Promoting Recreation Opportunity. Within the strategy of promoting the building, expansion and maintenance of premier facilities, SOSC will lead the charge on developing new facilities for indoor and outdoor sports and recreation.
The below projects are in the building, development, and planning stages. Please contact Brad King, the Director of Sports Development regarding venue development.
When measures were placed on the ballot that needed to pass in order for Rogue X to be approved in May 2020, SOSC stepped up and created an awareness campaign that aired on TV leading up to the election. The Commission voted to pay for the production for the video and a schedule for airtime. The message focused on the need for a pool and the direct economic impact the facility would have on the community. Both measures passed and Rogue X is projected to open in November 2023. The complex will feature 8 full size basketball courts that can also be used for other indoor sports such as volleyball and pickleball, as well as event space along with both a competitive and a recreational pool.
The Medford City Council approved the $66.7 million guaranteed maximum price amendment in January 2022 to Pence Construction to build Rogue X with total cost of $75.8 million. Rogue X is located in West Medford at 1221 Ross Lane. See the progress of the building by viewing the Rogue X webcam.
Read the Nov. 27, 2023 RV Times article for the latest on Rogue X by clicking HERE.
Prescott Park, on Roxy Ann Peak, is Medford’s largest city park featuring 1,740 acres of hiking, mountain biking and equestrian trails. In 2016, several members of SOSC attended a Jackson County Commissioners meeting and spoke in support of the proposed Comprehensive Plan Map and Zoning Map Amendment to include extensive trail building. The motion was approved, and trails have since been created and improved, providing more opportunities to hold mountain biking events at the park. The park is also undergoing further development with a 3-mile long rocky equestrian trail, which is identified in the Trails Master Plan for the City of Medford.
A conceptual design for a bike park/urban trail system at Midway Park in Medford is going through the development stages. The Rogue Valley Mountain Biking Association announced the plan which would feature a 30-acre space to host jumplines, trails with features including a pump track, dual slalom area to create a regional draw and become a revenue generator for the city. It would also provide residents and those who can’t access local trail systems an easily, accessible and progressive place to learn.
The park is located in the northwest quadrant where Crater Lake Highway and I-5 intersect and Bear Creek Greenway, one of Medford and the Rogue Valley’s natural assets, goes through the park. The plan was created after hard work from a bike park committee which included representation from the City of Medford, Travel Medford, Southern Oregon Sports Commission, RVMBA leadership and other members of the community.
The project is a candidate for federal funding via the senate delegation and Travel Medford and SOSC provided a letter of support, in conjunction with the City of Medford, to Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley in March.
The Gold Hill Whitewater Center is a unique venue and another one of Southern Oregon’s world-class natural attractions along the Rogue River.
The Whitewater park has diverse functions that feature Class IV (expert!) rapids for kayaking and has hosted the U.S. Rafting Championships in the past. Its goal is to make the park accessible to more people in a variety of watercraft by modifying the hazardous rapids in the channel known as “Muggers Alley.” It is a training site for search and rescue and has the potential to have an Olympic Slalom Course that could be the host for the Whitewater Events at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games when the international competition come to Los Angeles. As a first step to test the Olympic idea, Travel Medford invited Morgan House, Director of High Performance for the American Canoe Association, to visit Ti'lomikh Falls. The ACA is the governing body of Olympic slalom. Morgan toured the site with a group including Olympic kayak gold medalist Oliver Fix and Steve Kiesling, as well as Alex Campbell from the governor's Solution Team and Angela Wood from Travel Medford
There is currently a design for Riverbed Modifications and 2021 renderings for an Indigenous Peoples Monument to overlook Mugger’s Alley.
The Medford Mail Tribune reports Central Point City Council and Jackson County officials are working toward a major project planned at The Expo in Central Point for a shared regional facility that would cost between $50 and $62 million. The proposed multi-use facility would include up to eight gymnasiums, classrooms, kitchens and other recreation amenities while also serving as an evacuation center for emergency situations. Three design options that are being discussed:
Option 1: 131,370 square feet | This is the preferred option for the Jackson County Board of Commissioners and the Jackson County Fair. It would include eight gymnasiums, various breakout rooms/classrooms, a large dining area and joint offices. Estimated cost: $60 million to $61.6 million. City portion: $16.2 million to $18.5 million.
Option 2: 103,700 square feet, plus a 20,600-square-foot outdoor covered area | A reduced version of option 1, it would include smaller eating areas, classrooms and gathering areas. Gyms number 7 and 8 would be outdoors (but covered), and the city would not have a dedicated gym space of its own. Estimated cost, $54 million to $55 million, with the city’s portion estimated at $13.5 million to $14.8 million.
Option 3: 103,700 square feet | Similar to option 2, minus the covered area for the two outdoor gym spaces. Option 3 would provide more outside meeting/gym space, but it is designed in a way that would be harder to eventually expand the facility. Estimated cost, $50 million to $51 million, with the city’s cost estimated at $12.5 million to $13.8 million.
Source: Mail Tribune
