Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and Grammy-award winning wife, Ciara, announced last summer that they were early investors in the Portland Diamond Project.

But who else is backing the effort?

The Oregonian/OregonLive has learned the identities of the other “Charter” investors with the group that aims to bring a Major League Baseball club to Portland.

The roster of investors includes:

• Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson

• Recording artist and entrepreneur Ciara

• Retired CEO of Platt Electric Harvey Platt and wife Sandy Platt

• Former MLB player Darwin Barney and David P. Barney and David M. Barney

• Retired business owner and philanthropist Samantha Richardson

• DWFritz Automation CEO Mike Fritz and wife Kristin

• Avamere Group founder Rick Dillon

• Opus Agency co-founder and restauranteur Grant Hammersley

• Portland Gear founder and CEO Marcus Harvey

• Kamp Grizzly founder Dan Portrait and wife Sheena

• Nike Inc. Vice President of Global Footwear Product Creation Mark Allen and wife Peg

• Jevo founder and entrepreneur Tyler Williams

• Real estate broker Kelsey Williams

Craig Cheek, founder of the Diamond Project, confirmed the identities on Wednesday. The group is expected to issue a news release on Thursday with more information.

Cheek said the charter investors provided the funding to get the effort off the ground and help position Portland as a serious contender in the eyes of MLB’s league office.

The group announced in late November that it obtained land rights to the Terminal Two property on the Willamette River. It’s expected to expand that footprint to include additional acreage that would be part of the development.

“The charter investors are people who really grasped the vision and had the resources to get involved,” Cheek said. “They have strong ties to the area and are passionate about what we’re doing.”

Several of the charter investors have expressed interest in expanding their ownership stake in Phase 2 and 3 offerings. The combined stadium project and cost of obtaining a team is projected to run north of $2.5 billion, Cheek said.

A City Hall source indicated that the Portland Diamond Project showed Mayor Ted Wheeler letters of agreement from out of state equity-stake investors.

Those commitments total more than $1.3 billion.

Russell Wilson, the Seahawks quarterback, and his wife, Ciara, have also expressed interest in playing a larger role in the project over time. There’s speculation that the Wilsons have long-term aspirations in majority ownership in a professional franchise.

There’s also expected to be a financial-world partner to round-out the financial needs for the stadium and surrounding development.

“This is bigger than just baseball,” Cheek said. “It’s a major development. We’re going to continue to try to update and communicate as we go through the project.”

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred last year listed Portland at the top of the list as possible expansion sites. The desire to expand from 30 to 32 teams was part of the sport’s collective bargaining agreement discussion. Also, stadium uncertainty in Tampa and Oakland has fueled speculation that Portland could serve as a relocation site.

Cheek said the timeline for building a stadium is 36 months, start to finish. Manfred is on record saying he wants the stadium uncertainty in Oakland and Tampa settled before addressing potential MLB expansion.

Marcus Harvey, 28, is the founder of Portland Gear, and the youngest of the charter investors. He built his apparel company brand from an Instagram page into a thriving business. He sought out Cheek after the project went public and expressed a desire to be a part of it.

“This is not a get-rich-quick scheme for me,” Harvey said. “I really had to think about it because I was investing all I had. I also just got married. But I had to be a part of this. I want to take my kids to a game someday. Be part of that. Be there Opening Day.

“That’s the moment I saw when I first thought about it.”

Harvey Platt is the retired former CEO of Platt Electric. His wife, Sandy, is a retired pre-school teacher. Together, the Platts signed on as charter investors. Sandy said their support is rooted in how passionately her husband has talked for years about Portland being an ideal MLB city.

“Harvey has told me how great it would be for families to come together and watch games,” she said, “how jobs would be created, how the city would prosper by having a team here.”

The Platts have been courtside Trail Blazers season ticket holders since the inaugural season.

“It would bring such joy to Harvey to finally see a dream of his come true,” Sandy said, “to see it benefit so many Portlanders, and that’s why I wholeheartedly support the project.”