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A year after Portland Mayor Sam Adams kicked off the process for redesigning the Memorial Coliseum, the plan for the historic building remains murky. A much-touted public process yielded three finalist proposals, but Adams suspended the process before a winner could be chosen. Now, Adams is proposing his own vision for the Coliseum and nearby Rose Quarter, leading some community stakeholders to wonder whether they truly have a say in how the area is redeveloped.
The varied visions for and vested interests in the area are at odds. The Trail Blazers, who play at the Rose Garden and used to call the Coliseum home, are re-envisioning the Rose Quarter as a mixed-use entertainment Mecca reminiscent of Kansas City's Power and Light District. Doug Obletz, a prominent Portland developer whose design for an amateur athletic complex at the Coliseum was selected by Portland's City Council as a finalist, wants to see the area become a vibrant residential district and community sports hub built with Portland's green ethos in mind. The preservationist voices, led by local architects and the veterans whom the Coliseum honors, contend that keeping the building's innovative design and memorial element intact is the city's most respectful and sustainable option. And long-time residents of surrounding neighborhoods who remember the displacement of the African American community by the city's Coliseum construction crews worry that the same groups marginalized 50 years ago will be left behind again.
Can Portland marry historic preservation with revitalization? How do city planners and developers design and build a "destination district" that attracts people from outside Oregon but reflects the vision and needs of those who live nearby?
Tagged as: architecture · entertainment · trailblazers
Photo credit: Courtesy of Memorial Athletic Recreation Center
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There used to be a vibrant neighborhood in Northeast Portland, but then the urban planners destroyed it in order to expand Emanuel Hospital and build the Coliseum. What they got was a dead zone, not too different from the one that now exists in South Portland.
Now the planners propose to bring the old neighborhood back to life. I'm thinking that maybe they are not capable of doing this.
The Hawthorne, Alberta and Mississippi neighborhoods are all "unplanned" as it were, the result of many decisions by the many people who live and work there.
So where to we go now? Let's leave the movers and shakers (maybe we should call them the "shovers and makers") out and look to the people for ideas. For a while I thought this was happening, but the movers and shakers said no.
They can't even build a minor league ballpark. So how are they going to redesign the Rose Quarter?
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The Great Destination cities of the world have natural attractions and magnificent man built structures. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, The Great Pyramids outside Cairo, and recently built attraction of the 'Bird's Nest' Olympic Stadium in Beijing. There are national champions such as the Arch at St. Louis, Washington Monument in DC, Golden Gate Bridge in SF, Hoover Dam outside Las Vegas and the Space Needle in Seattle.
Portland has two natural wonders that are ICONIC and draw tourist internationally: MT. Hood and the Columbia River. It is a young city, and has not had an architectural legacy. There are small attempts like the eclectic collection of historical bridges on the Willamette, the twin glass towers of the Convention Center, and most recently the scupltural silver Column of the OHSU Gondola. And I would add a small interior space that complements coffee culture: Powell's World of Books. But none of these have the scale, grandeur or draw of let say the Statue of Liberty in Manhattan. And the Statue of Portlandia is frankly, underwhelming.
The fault is 99.9 % of buildings and structures are made with a timeline of decades, at most 50 years or one generation. Our generation have to build at least one major structure that is timeless and great, and draws tourist as well as architectural afficionados and photographers internationally. And that type of structure build oppurtunity does not show up everyday--more like once a century.
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We cannot afford a boutique luxury titanium-skinned art museum like the Guggenheim in Bilbao. Or the fierce competition of bigger and bigger MegaCasinos in the Las Vegas Strip. Northwesterners are practical and functional. And I think the ultimate project is A GREAT TOWERING SCULPLTURAL SUSPENSION BRIDGE ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER.
To build a lowest bid is practical. But as in many things in life, to go cheap is not the best solution long term. To transform an ordinary structure to an innovative, aesthetic and iconic structure generally is only marginally more expensive: approximately 15% over the low bid. This includes opening up the bid to the world's best bridge architects and engineers. When you keep a project based on Chicago School Architects, you get Chicago type results. Look at Northwest building materials like local stone and even wood...not just Portland Cement. Look at different tower shapes, metals and cable stays.
Vancouver and Portland are only 7 miles downtown-to-downtown. We need to link into one great Metropolis. And link Oregonians and Washintonians. We need to unify the visions of the Mt. Hood, the Columbia River and build something Iconic that will last a Century. Have tourist walk across the Columbia River. And Photographers fly in from Paris. I do not see tourist photographing the I-205 Bridge--it is as stirring and passionate as an ordinary freeway overpass or 4 level interchange. Build a critical mass of attractions, and Portland will become a destination city. Otherwise we will stay Stumptown on the Willamette.
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I really wish we could turn the Memorial Coliseum into an indoor waterslide park. We could use rainwater and solar to help create it.
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great idea!
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Tear it down and build a ballpark. If the city wants people there year round, using the parking garages and visiting businesses, they need a reason to go there in numbers. Basketball during baseball's off season and vice versa. Just look at the Twin Cities. They just built a new ballpark right next to the city's huge parking garages. And on the other side of those parking garages... the Timberwolves' NBA arena. All of the businesses in the area seem to be busy. And for those that will say, but MSP has MLB, not AAA, just look at the St. Paul Saints. That's right, look at the independent league baseball team in the Twin Cities. They get large crowds (larger than the AAA Beavers) because they have an actual baseball park, not a multiuse stadium. The numbers are there for the Beavers if they had a proper stadium.
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My concern about a ballpark would be the traffic. I live about 7 blocks North of the Rose Quarter. When there is a Blazer game it is extremely unpleasant to commute.
When Seattle has a baseball, baskeball, soccer or football game, the city is greatly affected. It becomes major rush hour on the freeways.
I don't think the this area of town can handle all of the traffic. At 5PM you can barely drive north on I5 due to the traffic up to Vancouver. We need better planning.
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One note of caution to those spearheading or supporting plans to convert Memorial Stadium as part of an overall goal of making the Rose Quarter an "entertainment" destination. Other cities that have pursued such "revitalization" dreams have succeeded in realizing 2 outcomes.
The first is that the "revitalized" area are improved in that the dilapidated buildings and fallow grounds have been made over.
The second outcome is that the cities (and counties & states) that have undertaken these projects are now burdened with tens of millions of dollars in new debt that - despite developers, consultants & politicians "best estimates" - require both new taxes and cuts in public services because actual revenues generated by the "revitalized" destination failed to provide enough new "tax" income to the cities and states to meet the cost of annual debt service.
The best example is that provided by ToL, the Cordish Cos.' development known as the "Power & Light" District in Kansas City. The "Power & Light" District (PLD) has failed to meet projected revenue targets by a wide margin. In 2008, PLD generated a mere 15% of the revenues budgeted toward servicing the bonds issued for the project. The 85% gap narrowed in 2009, down to an 84% miss. Furthermore, "occupancy", the number of retail, food services and office space leased, is well below forecasted targets.
The net result for the residents of Kansas City and Cass County is additional, unplanned tax hikes. KC's City Manager, Troy Schulte, has concluded (as reported on July 22, 2010) that the city will be obliged to provide additional subsidies at an annual cost of $10-15 million a year for the foreseeable future. Those monies will be raised as new taxes.
The developer, Cordish Cos., has proven to be aggressively litigious. Cordish is suing Kansas City & the County over property value assessment, seeking to limit its annual costs by keeping the properties valued at $11.8 million as opposed to the assessed value of $66.7 million. Cordish is also involved in other suits over the project over construction, lease terms, and other issues all of which effect revenue generation and the city's tax burden for paying off the project's debt.
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Lastly, the neighborhoods beyond the PLD, including another development called "Westport", all report that their restaurants and businesses have lost income to the "PLD". In short, the vast majority of the jobs created in the "PLD" and the monies it's "created" are truly a result of "zero sum" transfer of monies from other neighborhoods to the "PLD".
This, as I stated above, is but one of many examples of how these types of projects affect the city and citizenry. The fact is that the city's politicians and favored business leaders get a shiny new "trophy" project while the people and businesses of the city (and county & state) get more subsistence wage jobs and a huge, new tax obligation - not considering the opportunities lost through the poor and short-sighted use of key infrastructure and culture of innovattion that are unique to Portland.
Besides, looking at the prospects for the Rose Quarter side-by-side with other cities' "destination" projects, many of them have a sports arena at their heart - most of which desire a pro team's presence. To point, what makes the Rose Quarter more desirable than other cities' brand new billion dollar plus developments from the perspective of the Blazers' ownership?
In fact, Cordish Cos.' co-founder, David Cordish, has lambasted KC's city leaders for failing to attract a pro team. Since Cordish is the Blazers' preferred developer, it's reasonable to assume that David Cordish's sentiments about pro teams and "destinations" are well known to Blazers' management.
Is Portland in a "build it" but not to someone elese's specifications and we'll lose the team situation?
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The idea of a tremendous indoor waterpark sounds interesting! This space could focus on the continued efforts of all Oregonians to remain fit and active, bucking against the current state of health-decline in the U.S. Walking, running, biking, swimming, and stretching, all in an affordable and easy-to-access center! We could call it "Memorial Coliseum/Oregon Health and Fitness Center."
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YES!!!!!
I have been preaching my desire for a waterslide park for years!!!
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In the response to architecture, art, entertainment and a mea clupa to the old neighborhood residents and businesses, I propose the building of the 'Jazz Museum of Portland'. This will encompass and answer most issues of making the center, a local enterprise, to employ neighbors and grow an international jazz music tourist and performance destination.
The JMP (Jazz Museum of Portland) will put the 'You' in J'u'mp Town.
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Tturning the MC into a "destination district" implies people choosing the new MC over some other nearby Oregon destination to spend their time and money. With the state of the Oregon economy, persistant unemployment and overall lower consumption, it seems likely that this means drawing people away from Portland or nearby areas. In this case we could be robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to speak, and undermining the economics of other areas in Portland or Oregon. Has anyone done a study, considering projections of population growth, the economic situation of Oregon residents and tax revenues to justify spending taxpayer money on doing anything at all? Perhaps the best answer is what we have seen. Continue doing nothing as long as the MC is generating positive income for Portland. Why do anything at all, at least for now?
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I have yet to hear any mention of the "Memorial" aspect of the proposals.
It was dedicated to the "advancement of cultural opportunities for the community and to the memory of our veterans of all wars who made the supreme sacrifice."
It is never used for any Memorial Day or Veterans Day activities.
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I'm really disappointed by this conversation. This isn't all about process and economics. It's about a world-renowned landmark, Memorial Coliseum, that already has a better purpose than all the others people have forwarded. It's a multi-purpose arena. To change that would be to favor one idea over many. It also would destroy the world's only major arena with a 360-degree glass view that legendary poet Allen Ginsberg called "The New World Auditorium" as he saw The Beatles play there.
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World-renowned? Really? Who around the world is talking abou the MC as a really fantastic building that should be duplicated? I'll give you a hint: it's one of a kind because it's an inefficient design.
The curtains are up around the bowl 99% of the time because when sunlight comes through widows things get hot. Therefore utility costs are abnormally high because the undue heat has to be regulated. As for concerts (and most events) where lighting needs to be controlled, curtains must be up as well. The design is inefficient and unneccessary, and if you think otherwise, point to one -just ONE - arena that has been designed the same way. C'mon, if I set the bar any lower this would be a Portland public school.
The Memorial Coiseum's design is one of a kind. For the wrong reasons.
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This is exactly the kind of thinking that keeps Portland from ever progressing anywhere. The Beatles played the Coliseum for one day in 1965. That's one event (two shows, but still), 45 years ago, by my math - not exactly a compelling argument to keep the thing standing.
The Memorial Coliseum is functionally obsolete - it costs the city hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and does nothing that couldn't be absorbed by the Rose Garden next door. So it should stay because of...nostalgia? Dubious architectural significance?
There is absolutely no need to have two multipurpose venues right next door to each other. Look at Staples Center in LA - three basketball teams call it home, as does a hockey team, and they have concerts there all the time. And it's all one building. Wachovia Center in Philly, same thing. Modern stadia are built to easily handle as many events as can be thrown at them. Why have two?
I would have loved to see a baseball stadium there, but now that that's not an option I still think the Coliseum needs to go and be replaced by something else.
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I think they should put an indoor market in there, predominantly food, but also have other items, ie clothes. I think using it as an entertainment center won't draw in lower income people who can not afford to go to expensive concerts, etc.
~Louise
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The Rose Quarter once was a vibrant urban neighborhood with an urban fabric of smaller blocks, smaller streets, and smaller lots. With the creation of the Colosseum, a Modernist notion of urban planning was overlaid, a notion that erased the once vibrant, mixed neighborhood. It's designers erased streets, formed super-blocks, erected a monumental building many times the size of the individual Portland 200' square block, and created a vast parking lots to accommodate cars. Latter additions to the district (Rose Garden, parking garages, etc.) further expanded on the Modernist concept of an auto-oriented single-use events center.
The Colosseum is a perfectly fine building that can be preserved, along with the Rose Garden and parking structures. But it's time to bring back the small blocks, street network, residents, street retail and businesses. We can use "liner buildings" to wrap the parking garages, etc. We can integrate smaller scale building parcels into the new block structure, which in turn can help mix in smaller businesses, and a more vibrant culture. Currently only a few major stakeholders hold all the cards. The best thing they can do to 'democratize' the district is to come up with a fundamental urban plan, sell it off in many smaller pieces, and let the district rise again, based on the efforts of many many hands. - Laurence Qamar
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When was the Rose Quarter ever a "vibrant urban neighborhood"? Citations please, otherwise your argument is BS.
Seriously, if something is actually "vibrant" why would anyone raze it?
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http://oregonstate.edu/dept/press/i-j/jumptown.html
http://www.historicphotoarchive.com/mcm/Lecture.html
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Can you point to what part of those links talk about the area perhaps being "vibrant" over half a century ago? The project to build the Coliseum was categorized as urban renewal.
That which is vibrant does not need to be renewed.
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You're right, thiving and vibrant are completely different.
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Comments are now closed.
maybe the mayor should be able to decide for us what should happen with the memorial coliseum. from this discussion forum, it looks like no one cares what happens to the site.
Benson High School graduation is my personal connection to the site. i been there a few times for the rose quarter events. This site does not have a sacred sense to it, not similar to the Vietnam memorial in DC. I did not think of the historical importance of the site anymore. I wish there was, as a designer working towards a practicing professional.
let it die as a memorial. Let it be an experiment as an entertainment center where people gather. Do not let this become a place of low income swamp. It is my discrimination against poverty cause a beautiful place to be a slum.