The big old barn in JumpTown
I sent you to the website the other day – imaginejumptown.com — but I didn’t have time to comment much. It appears that Larry Miller has gotten his old pals at Nike to buy into the thing with some sort of Nike museum. That sounds great for the area in the Rose Quarter.
But what still bothers me is the stubbornness of sticking to this “bright future for Memorial Coliseum” garbage. I realize the Trail Blazers have sold themselves on the concept that the indoor venue, the coliseum, cut down to seat 5,000 or 6,000 people, is a more viable venue than a Triple-A baseball park for bringing people into the new neighborhood.
I think they’re wrong. Yes, much of the winter the ballpark would be vacant. But that’s the time of year when the Rose Garden will be hopping. You don’t need the ballpark in the winter — you need it in the summer and spring when the Rose Garden (and Memorial Coliseum) is dark all the time.
Does Portland need a 5,000-seat arena? I don’t think so. We already have one at University of Portland’s Chiles Center. I think that size is a little too small for the Winter Hawks, who should be playing in the Rose Garden. And I think by the time you get done updating 50-year-old plumbing, wiring and structure of the old MC, you’re spending so much money you’d have been better off leveling the thing and starting all over.
It’s going to be a money pit. A big, big money pit. And when you’re done, what kind of arena will it be? Probably not much of one. Honestly, if they’re so committed to keeping the outside structure, the box, they ought to gut the inside and install the world’s biggest and fastest indoor roller coaster there. It would have a better chance of being a big attraction than that old junky arena. Seriously.
A wise baseball guy, Bill Cutler, a one-time owner of the Portland Beavers, once sighed as he watched the city of Portland first installing artificial turf on ancient then-Civic Stadium. He turned to me and smiled.
“It’s like putting silk stockings on a hog,” he said. And he was so right. But this is Portland — we just can’t bring ourselves to throw anything away here. We’re constantly recycling.
Baseball, Stadiums, Trail Blazers, Worthwhile endeavors, arenas, small-town Portland | Dwight Jaynes | November 4, 2009
Bill Cutler, Civic Stadium, Dwight Jaynes, JumpTown, Memorial Coliseum, Portland Trail Blazers
The architects are going to scream bloody murder about what Vulcan wants to do. I think they’re going to find all that support they had before curiously quiet in supporting their side and far more supportive of not spending a dime on the place or flattening it rather than spending $50-$100 million to fix up an out of date arena.
But Dwight, it’s going to be built “Green” and “Renewable” and “Sustainable”, as well as incorporating wind and solar energy! What could go wrong?
“JUMP-town”, hmmmm. Back in the 50s and 60s I remember that area being called something else. I don’t recall it ever being called “JUMP-town”. Seems to me that area of town was called something that started with an “N”…hmmmm, I just can’t remember what that was.
What in the world is your point? Are you something that starts with an “R,” as in racist? Or are you just something that starts with an “A,” as in a**hole?
I think the name “JUMP-town” is silly.
Why am I a Racist and an A**hole? Because I was around back then and I happen to remember what the place was commonly called?
Or should I be Enlightened like you, and pretend that things that happened 50 years ago, never really happened?
Barry: my family is of Irish descent. Did you know that the english tried to starve the irsh the irish to death during the potato
famine? It was actually illegal to feed
them. So, many of them came to America
.As devout Catholics coming to
protestant NY and Boston off the boats
,they were denied employment, despised
, treated like dirt, and given little
opportunity.
That is past history too. Almost all
countries, races, creeds, and religions
have been at the butt end of the stick.
I think bringing it up as you have done
does little good, and is irrelevant to
the issue at hand.
Pathetic. You are better than that Barry.
I went to the Suns game there this preseason and it was really cool to see the curtains up and watch the sunset. But I am ready to move on. I would love to see the city have a viable ball park. Use it for a NW College series once a year. Have the high school championship games there. Maybe pull in a regional for the college playoffs and of course the Beavers would have their home field. I think the MC is a beautiful building but it has lost its usefulness. Let’s move on.
There aren’t many details on the plan yet as far as I can I tell. What I can see right now isn’t very impressive.
* A Nike Interactive Center — meh
* Changes to the Memorial Coliseum — someone needs to prove that it will be used. I have my doubts.
* Jumptown — My first thought was that it was a complete Nike project. Nike has invested too much money associating Jumpman with Jordan. I like Jordan, but Portland isn’t a Jordan’s town.
I really wish they hadn’t picked the Jumptown name. I bugs me quite a bit.
I guess I have to reserve judgment until there are some more details, but it doesn’t look promising so far.
I just hope the MC will be preserved as the greatest location in the western hemisphere for cat shows. As long as that remains true, I can die in peace.
I say bring back jump town. But let’s up the ante a little and call it Harlem Northwest or something a little edgier than jumptown.
If the internet destroys popular music and real music makes a comeback, this is a chance to get ahead of the curve. And Paul Allen already has his rock n’ roll museum so this is a chance for him to expand his cultural horizons.
If I have to choose between Louis Armstrong or minor league baseball, I’m sorry but the king of jazz is going to win that one every time. Same for Duke Ellington or Herbie Hancock. Jon Faddis is still around and he’d fit the bill perfectly.
I wouldn’t mind hearing some gypsy jazz or some progressive blue grass, or slightly commercial funk either. Not to mention some good zydeco, ragtime, or bagpipes.
Rename the Coliseum “Glass Palace City Limits” or something less contrived.
The biggest problem with the rose quarter is that it is not easily accessible by foot. Until they change the grid around that area to encourage foot traffic it will forever be just a place to watch Blazer games. The sad thing is they really could have developed that area into something nice (e.g. the Verizon Center in NE DC). But they didn’t.
I agree with Justin. The greatest deterrent to people using the Rose Quarter is that getting there on foot is like trying to run a gauntlet of tanks in 1950s Hungary: no fun, and you take your life in your hands. Additionally, the freeways create an ambience of concrete and carbon monoxide that seriously detracts from the homey feel of the area. Until someone has the stones to stand up to the parking ripoff specialists, most people will walk elsewhere. Until someone figures out how to move I-5 elsewhere, Jumptown will be someplace most folks just want to jump over, jump through and jump out of.
“in one of Portland’s most vibrant neighborhoods.”
I have to admit it has been over 10 years since I lived in Portland but I still visit family there, in fact, I drive to the Rose Garden for concerts because the venues in Seattle suck, but this is still an area you drive through to get to a “vibrant neighborhood”.
Sure is a good time to build some more upscale housing, It will fill in a matter of years. Maybe we could build a tram to it. or extend the streetcar some more.
Meanwhile the Sellwood Bridge is falling apart.
And it seems likely the Beavers will be leaving Portland area. This city council would rather build bike lanes and street cars to get good national press about their “leadership” in transportation.
Was surprised to see Oak St had become one lane for cars rest for bikes.
Again – can someone explain to me what this venue is going to offer, that isn’t already being offered at the Rose Garden? Concerts? Check. Sports? Check. Nike interactive experience? Uh – well – I guess not, but – what the heck is it? This doesn’t add anything new to the area at all. But somehow it’s going to completely change the neighborhood landscape.
If they really want to just throw money away – they can put it in my garbage can – I don’t mind dirty money.
For example, my wife is into Celtic Woman and that fills about 1/3 to 1/2 of the RG, but it’s way to big an event for PCPA places (Schnitz,Keller). So if you “think creatively” you “could” refurbish the MC and do stuff in the in-between-range of venue.
Also, the idea to have other, smaller places to listen to up and coming bands (that aren’t bars that over-charge for bad sound/bad atmosphere) would be cool. I’d like to be able
to have a venue that could support “teen” music (no booze, etc)
for example….
I’m not saying I think the MC is the answer…. I think we’ll
find the cost to re-furbish the building to meet ADA and earthquake standards is going to be way big $$$.
As far as the transportation leadership in Portland, to fix a
crucial bridge, solve real traffic problems, or vision
to do a simple AAA baseball park someplace, you ain’t
going to get it with the current crop of idiots in office.
Give me a break about $$$ to upgrade MC for ADA standards. Have have you ever used handicapped seating at major venues? At PGE Park, for example, you pay regular ticket prices to sit in the walkways and have to evict loitering schmucks after you go for your $3 hot dog and $5 Bud Light. The Rose Garden isn’t much better.
Where did Portland’s dream of MLB go? That was the sell by Vera Katz for the initial PGE Park upgrades.
I’m not sure why Randy Leonard brought this up again unless he’s trying to re-start Rose Quarter baseball as a result of the failure in Beaverton.
AAA baseball at the Memorial Coliseum site would be the best use of this location. It would almost certainly be cheaper to build than a full blown remodel of the redundant, barely utilized Coliseum; it would keep the city owned parking garages full year round (more city revenue – imagine THAT, Jumptown); and it would give the Rose Quarter the consistent foot traffic needed to turn it into a year round destination capable of supporting restaurants and other adjacent amenities (important with eastside streetcar coming). This model has been successfully deployed in at least a half dozen similar sized cities to Portland that have AAA baseball and an adjacent NBA/NHL arena, and it would be wildly successful here if only the city council and the Blazers would get on board.
Also, regarding Chiles Center – true, but the real need is for a 5,000-8,000 seat arena adjacent to Portland State University. Why can’t they just build a green “Memorial Coliseum Lite” instead near the South Park Blocks? PSU and OHSU desperately need it, and they could bring the Winterhawks along for the ride as well.
Jumptown?????
More like JUNKTOWN!!!! Support the BEAVERS at the MC!!!! BASEBALL > Junk!
Which six teams have this AAA baseball/NBA arena neighbor situation? I want to see how their projects turned out.
I can name two off hand: Buffalo and Indianapolis
Memphis is another. The venues aren’t EXACTLY at the same location, but they are a short walk from one another and in the same “entertainment district” (Beale Street).
Sacramento
No, Arco Arena and Raley Park are 8 miles apart. Not exactly in the same neighborhood.
Columbus (www.arenadistrict.com)
Charlotte
Memphis
Oklahoma City
Indianapolis
Buffalo
Also, if memory serves, Albuquerque’s is not downtown per se but the infrastructure is shared with UNM basketball and football stadiums.
5,000 – 6,000 seat MC? Why? The Rose Garden does a nice job for smaller events putting up a curtain to cover the upper bowl to make a more intament feeling. The Rose Garden is a great venue. Why are we spending any energy trying to make the MC viable. Putting mixed retail shops and restaurants at the Rose Quarter is not going to draw. A total waste of money and resources. A minor/major league ballpark is the only plan that makes sense for the MC site.
Now that the old girl is on the National Register, isn’t the whole argument regarding alternate future uses moot?
It’s basic design & structure must remain intact (no tearing her down for a stadium now!!!). Upgrades will be allowed pending approvals by all of the proper entities, and LOTS of red tape. And $$$$$$.
And you will still have an old arena when all is said & done…..
Yes. I think people are expressing their regret/frustration over that decision.
Maybe lay off the minor league BBall idea, we did not go to games when we had it. It is a waste of money to build a minor league park , no one goes. A MLB team will draw like the Blazers do. If Nike comes into the Jumptown thing , then it would be natural for them to lead the charge to put a MLB park on the PPS site!
i wonder if anyone in this town that are the powers that be has any idea what the people want? it seems to me in all the polls taken by the tv and radio people, all of the blogs, all of the message boards, and the general talk on the street says tear down the MC
and build a ball park!! does someone not hear this? is there a question as to what the majority of people want? don’t we elect them to do our bidding? this city is just turning into a turd floating its way down the willamette to the ocean. what a shame. just hate seeing this kind of antiquated, frightened, short sided thinking.
or raise the pps site and put the damn thing there… forgot we cant tear down the MC anymore.
you think that place will ever make the show life after people?!?!? lol
Only the NIMBYs count.
As an architect, I’ve been for demo’ing Mem Coliseum the whole recent time. Great building for its time but not reasonably reuseable. Any remaining greatness will be destroyed with adaptation.
Not sure a baseball park is the best substitute, but I can appreciate it providing an annual balance of events through most of the year.
And yes, Graham, it should be energy-efficient and green.
This MC debacle is a microcosm of how far away are great cities is to becoming relevant in something other than coffee shops and pot. Look how Portland is handling its outdate useless area and how Seattle dealt with its outdate, but useful stadium (Kingdome). Portland puts its useless arena on the National Register and Seattle blows up its Kingdome to replace it with a first class facility. Wonder why we won’t see MLB or NFL in Portland?