Subscribe Feed (RSS)Our “beloved” mayor Sam Adams has the names of the fine folks named today to the committee, along with a few ridiculous statements, right here. I wonder how many on the committee have actually visited the “beloved” building in recent years? Seriously. Do they know what a dump that bulding is? Or how much it’s going to cost to save it?
They’re going to find out, I hope, very soon.
In his statement, Adams says:
. . . the Rose Quarter and the Memorial Coliseum are beloved community assets, with an even brighter future.
I really cannot tell you how much it irks me to hear the coliseum described as a “beloved” community asset — which it isn’t really in any possible way (it’s not beloved and it’s not an asset) — and to say it might have anything close to a “bright” future is downright absurd.
Ah, this is my “beloved” city of Portland.
Tags: Dwight Jaynes, Mayor Sam Adams, Memorial Coliseum, Portland
I was inside the MC last week several times during interview sessions. Looks like they are painting the exterior panels white again and I could smell fresh paint inside too. Of course they have a long way to go to bring this oldie back to original form. Maybe the crew at This Old House could run an entire season refurbishing the MC. I can see Norm using his New England craftsmanship turn this mess into a work of art!
A rainbow coalition to be sure. What ever happened to a simple vote? I read the memo on the link, who writes this crap anyway?!?
Adams is “humbled by the quantity and quality of applications we received” PFFFFTT!
My biggest fear? That this will be yet another group of people coming up with ideas straight from fantasyland for re-purposing this heap. Before this group decides the MC should be the largest indoor cat show venue in the world, or a velodrome, etc. I sure hope they take a look at what it’s all going to cost. That’s when we’ll really find out how “beloved” this thing is. Are people in this city ready to spend some serious bank refurbishing the MC? I think not. And by the way, if/when the MC is listed on the historic register, will there be any opportunity to do any sort of refurbishing without breaking the rules?
Largest indoor cat show venue in the world?? Please tell me you’re not on this eilte panel. Somethig tells me that you have a winning idea here Marc…….
This is our fault for voting in absolute fools. I didn’t vote for him, but I live here and therefore, I share the blame with all you local idiots.
I’m kinda there with you Mr Harris….I don’t live there and therefore I can’t share the blame for you people voting in obvious idiots. It’s all yours, Soccer City USA!
“. . .the largest indoor cat show venue in the world. . .”
Classic line, Marc. Jack Cain should be a no-brainer for this committee–or would be if he hadn’t already escaped across the river to establish residency in the Couv.
Well Dwight – our “beloved” mayor is a liar and an idiot. So…I never get my hopes up too high on what Oregon legislators will do.
Portland reaps what it sows politically. What happened to the recall for “Sit on my lap” Sammy?
I’ll one up you all and say I agree with having a committee on this. Don’t get me wrong, I think the best idea was to put a baseball park there but we are facing bigger challenges with building these days then just “we need something to occupy that space RIGHT NOW!”
Sustainability, a word often just thrown out there for the buzz, is very important. Not only for possibly using anexisting building longer, but even better, a new facility with true long term community use.
You also should make sure you do everything to keep the community happy. You listen to your users and patrons and develope a plan off their ideas. Usually they have very good thoughts but their means and methods need refining.
I get a sense of urgency from the commentors and our blogger that something needs to happen NOW but the city of Portland is not on the same page with you. If you really want to see your ideas for the MC space take off, then make your voice known with this committee and try not to be cynical about their approach. We all know that Sam Adams and his crew will just have your opinions fall upon deaf ears if you don’t follow their approach to problem solving.
DHS (Department of Homeland Security) is probably looking for some sort of “large gathering place” in which to practice their tactics (or is that antics?)
So what say we arrange a large-scale pseudo-demonstration (paint graffiti all over the thing, etc) & call the Feds. We can tell them it’s been taken over by a bunch of fundamentalist nut cases, have the SERT team surround the place & let the feds level it in the name of “Homeland Security”.
Then they will ante up federal funds to rebuild something in its place – probably could even have Frank Ghery do some radical design & voila! No more crumbling wreck, no worries about a “National Register” listing & it’s restrictions & we don’t have to fork over $$$$$$ to spruce up the dump!
Well all you MC Haters have a chance to see the Blazers in the Building now. I always enjoyed them better in the MC , then in the RG. And hey count me in on that Giant Cat Thingee…. brilliant ,
hey are you free to run for mayor ?
they said on the news tonight (channel 6) that we should have a deceision in 18 months -2yrs. what in gods name is there to consider that would take 2 friggin years. start the friggin meetings and deceide this:
1… keep it or tear it down
job time required @ 2.5-3 hrs.
2… if tear it down baseball (major league park) or other attractions.
job time required 1 day.
3 if keep renovate or use as is
job time 45 mins.
sounds pretty simple to me… but then the sixties were hard on me and i may be missing something.
really its not all that hard. there is no need whatsoever to drag this process on for 2 friggin years. in this city the people will debate this non issue for a decade if you let them. jesus h. christ they make every single little thing such a big deal and everything turns into a huge fiasco with the final outcome usually not having anything to do with what the majority of citizens want anyway. this city government and the way they make their deceisions is just plain and simple putrid!
oh and it has been that way for the last 40 yrs or so and its not gonna change anytime soon because of the demographics in this city. and for the record i DID NOT vote for any one of this current numbskulls.
And they’ve been studying what to do with this thing since 1995. Still no answers. What’s important to the city and the NIMBYs is that we have a process. The process is the whole point and the longer the better. At the end of this two year process what will we have? Exactly what we have now. A bunch of unfunded half-baked ideas that can’t be implemented. But at least we’ll have had two good years of process!
There is no business reason to keep the MC. Cities much larger than Portland figured this out a long time ago. Examples:
–Chicago: Chicago Stadium (late 1920s) was torn down after United Center opened (1994).
–Boston: Boston Garden (late 1920s) was leveled after FleetCenter opened (1995).
–Houston: The Summit (mid-1970s) was sold to a “mega” church after Toyota Center opened (2003).
–Los Angeles: The Forum (late-1960s) was sold to a “mega” church after Staples Center opened (1999).
Other examples where older arenas were demolished after newer facilities opened: Buffalo, Miami, Philadelphia (the Spectrum is coming down this year), St. Louis, Indianapolis, Atlanta.
Let’s face it: while the MC is a place of many memories (‘77 NBA title for the Blazers, two Memorial Cups for the Winterhawks, ‘65 Final Four won by UCLA, many concerts, etc.), it’s glory days are long over.
Boston didn’t keep their 67-year-old “Garden” even though the Celtics won 16 NBA titles there.
A new baseball park would be the best use for the land now occupied by the MC. The Rose Quarter is a sports and entertainment complex, pure and simple. A baseball park would fit perfectly.
After reading that, I’m leaning towards a mega church.
There is 0nly one way to fix this Dwight. Only one way you are ever going to get serious shot at big league baseball in your beloved Portland. Let alone get your beloved city back from the lunatics. First, as mentioned in several previous posts, you gotta throw the “weirdoes” out. PDX has got to rid itself of the whole greeny, keep Portland weird crowd. Then Dwight you have got to run for Mayor of your beloved city. Other wise you are going to take this lament to your grave. The lunatics are in the hall? BS, the lunatics are running city hall. You said a piece back you were looking for full time work. Dude, I got a full time job for ya. For mayor of our beloved Rose City I nominate Dwight Jaynes. Think about it …
Too many cooks in the kitchen. Portland needs a wise king or queen to make the decisions about what to do with the RQ then put it to the voters.
Get it done by November.
I scanned the committee membership list to see if I know anyone on it, and I don’t. A few of the last names are familiar around Pdx. I wonder if anyone on the committee is a baseball fan? Hopefully, being a fan didn’t rule one out for membership.
I’m one of those who strongly feels that the Beavers’ park belongs where the MC is. If there was a better option in Pdx, that would be fine with me, but there doesn’t seem to be one. I’d love to know the real reason why Paul Allen doesn’t want the park there. Because he wouldn’t own it? It’s got to be about money in the end-isn’t everything?
Gary
Paul Allen is against it because it interferes with his dream of developing the MC into an Applebees/Buffalo Wild Wings/strip mall facility to re-invigorate the Rose Quarter. Remember, it was Allen who came up with the brilliant idea of turning the MC into the world’s largest Home Depot several years back. No denying the man has vision. Now, he’s got the sort of entertainment district in the works that would make all put the stoutest puke. Gotta think the MC plays an important role in that vision.
So let Mr. Allen turn it into whatever he wants to. I’d rather he used his money than the city using mine.It’s not like he can put whells on it and drag it up to Seattle. The city of Portland’s leadership could’nt run a lemonaide stand.
Pleaseeeee,
I wonder just how much it would cost each Pdx taxpayer to put a minor league ballpark where the MC is? I’m sure most of us manage to find a way to blow more than whatever that amount is on a fairly regular basis (e.g. Starbucks, Oregon lottery, booze, women, or whatever). Now, I grant you, the ball park might not give one the momentary high that the ones I just mentioned would, but aren’t we really talking about what’s best for the city, not for each of us individually? Cities that have pride and some sort of a positive identity invest in civic improvements of all kinds. Should each tax payer have the option of voting yes or no on each and every civic improvement? If that were the case, Pdx would move from “the city of process” (thanks Mr. Paulson) to “the city of terminal democracy”.
I could go on and on, but I won’t.
Sincerely,
Gary (the guy who supports art museums, fountains, city parks, historic preservation, and mass transit even though I seldom make use of any of these except the latter).
Rip it down. Build a mega-hotel. Then we can get the NBA all-star game, a Final Four, and some big conventions.
I have never had much confidence in anyone who uses a totally unreadable signature.
I don’t recognize any names either. Where is Vera? Did she refuse?
“Beloved” Was that the first question asked of volunteers for committee?
I agree with some committee work, but not if deck is stacked to “beloved”
The commeSure wonder
“The commeSure wonder”
Sorry I do not edit well.
18 – 24 months to figure this out? I take my family to a half dozen Winter Hawk games and about that many Blazer games each year. My two young boys (4 & 6) could solve this dilemma in 18 seconds, not 18 months. When we say where going to a game they ask if it is at the Rose Garden or “The other place” in there words. They say they like the Rose Garden better because the “other place smells funny.” Hey Sam, the MC is a dump and it smells funny. I bet the people in this city that where trying to save the beloved MC havn’t stepped foot in the place in 15 years or maybe ever.