Photo courtesy of oregonstadiumcampaign.com
The public hearings are over to hear testimonies for and against bringing MLS to Portland in 2011 along with the renovations to PGE Park and the Rose Quarter, possibly resulting in the razing of the Memorial Coliseum. However, if you could not make it to those meetings, PGE Park wants you to know there is still time to email or call city council members and the mayor and let them know if you support or oppose it.
Wednesday night saw another large turnout of Portland opinions about these huge changes, many in favor and many more in opposition. But it does seem as though the majority of the resistance is not necessarily against bringing MLS here, but against the way the city council has chosen to go about it. Many are against demolishing the Memorial Coliseum, a well-known veteran’s memorial to honor those who have died in every American war. But others have suggested that a new building could also be used as a memorial and perhaps honor them even better. Still some others are worried about the financial burden which may loom over the city as a result. These concerned citizens want to know now where the gap of millions of dollars will come from, not welcoming another tax bond in these tough economic times. However, the city council promise, just like they assured the task force several months ago, that would not be an option. Finally, the last major opposition is that the MLS does not necessarily require moving the Beavers. Many would like to see a compromise in which renovations could be made to PGE Park that would accommodate a larger soccer field as well as keep minor league baseball there. Although it would be a tight fit, this could buy the city up to two or three years to gain more funding and public support for a new baseball field. The city has weighed this option since the task force days and while it is less than ideal, they may hold on to it for a “rainy day” solution.
With these different concerns and possible solutions, it seems that when the city hammers out the details and presents the solid plan in the next few months, they may just have the unanimous public approval they are looking for. In an effort to do just that, PGE Park issued the following statement last week:
“THE PLAN TO HELP THE ECONOMY AND BRING MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER AND BETTER BEAVERS BASEBALL TO PORTLAND NEEDS YOUR HELP
“In just a few days, the City Council will vote to take the critical next step in the plan to bring Major League Soccer to Portland – deciding on a Rose Quarter location for a new and better home for the Portland Beavers.
“Retiring the Memorial Coliseum and building an intimate new 8,000-seat stadium at the Rose Quarter will dramatically increase attendance at Beavers games, helping the local economy and generating more funds for the city spectator funds and nearby parking garages. The Memorial Coliseum (will also be replaced) with a new memorial honoring all Oregon veterans.
“The improvements required to PGE Park to bring Major League Soccer to Portland will make it an even better venue for soccer and football. Taken together, MLS at PGE Park and Beavers baseball at the Rose Quarter will create 600 short-term jobs, more than 300 long-term jobs and generate roughly $50 million in annual economic activity in the community.”
So, what do you think? Let them know of your support, opposition or alternative ideas before they vote and make preliminary plans this week. Once the final decision has been made, they will begin to map out a financial and construction plan and timeline, which will be submitted to the MLS by September 1st. If it is approved by MLS, preparations will begin immediately to prepare for the opening 2011 season. If it is not approved, the bid will pass to another city.
Mayor Sam Adams (503) 823-4120 samadams@ci.portland.or.us
City Commissioner Amanda Fritz (503) 823-3008 amanda@ci.portland.or.us
City Commissioner Dan Saltzman (503) 823-4151 dan@ci.portland.or.us
City Commissioner Randy Leonard (503) 823-4682 randy@ci.portland.or.us
City Commissioner Nick Fish (503) 623-3596 nick@ci.portland.or.us
Comments
Wynter,
You got some of your facts wrong on this:
-MLS DOES requre that the Beavers have their own stadium. Last week, a journalist suggested this was not the case and all of the sudden this has become the next talking point for the handful of people against the plan. I doubt they even care if it is accurate or not and prefer to muddy the waters and create confusion around the claims. I am sorry to see you have fallen into the same trap many have who have based their research on that article. Here's the deal, last week Janik acknowledged that the Beavers don't have to be out of PGE during the first 12-24 months - that is true. BUT, for the MLS plan to succeed, the stadium for the Beavers MUST be funded. Here is what MLS commssioner garber said verbatim when asked what would happen if the two stadiums did not get funded: "Then we won't be able to have an MLS team in Portland,". That doesn't allow for any grey area at all.
(www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3101:new-portland-beavers-stadium-likely-after-mls-award&catid=41:facility-news&Itemid=56)
You might want to update your article correcting that error.
Wynter,
How come you don't mention that a lot of people like myself are concerned about the cost to taxpayers of keeping the Memorial Coliseum.
If we do nothing, the MC will cost you and me our share of $500,000.00 per year, which doesn't include the tens of millions of dollars it will cost us in 2-3 years to make it safe to continue to use.
I'm really concerned that the fear mongering and emotional resistence to the plan to retire the Memorial Coliseum will end up costing us dearly - both in terms of the expense of maintaining that eyesore AND by putting the kaibosh on the opportunity we have to replace it with a revenue-generating operation.
As a fiscal conservative, I can't stand that the city might base a decision on a couple of architects who want taxpayers to fork over a huge amount of money just because they think the MC is a great artistic specimen.
It's outdated, redundant to facilities we already have, it is falling apart, it is expensive to maintain, and in my opinion at least - very ugly.
Where is the question? Tear this thing down!
You correctly mention that the Memorial Coliseum is intended to honor all veterans of every war.
However, because the facility and the memorial itself have fallen into disrepair, there are no fallen veterans names listed after WWII.
Also, unfortunately the memorial area has been transformed into the smoking section for the Coliseum.
As a veteran myself, this is really an insult. Something has to be done because the current state of things is more of a tragedy than an honor.
Jeff,
Thank you so much for reading my article and making a comment. I really appreciate hearing both sides of this story, especially since it has become a hot topic for those opposing and supporting the MLS move as well as the other issues surrounding it.
Regarding the claim that MLS does not require the Timbers to solely own the Park, I did not get my facts purely from the OregonLive journalist who quoted the city attorney Steve Janik, but rather from the task force meetings held in February, before the city council even voted in favor of the Timbers becoming a MLS team. You can find that here: www.portlandonline.com/omf/index.CFM?c=49495&a=229880
I did, however, mention as you also put, that this would only be a temporary fix. If Garber did in fact quote what he did in the bizofbaseball.com article you sent from March 22, it does add some speculation, but I would rather judge as fact from actual city meeting minutes than an unconfirmed source such as this website author. As an impartial news writer, I have to look at many sources, not just one before presenting information as fact, otherwise, I would receive demands from the other side as well. So, until I hear directly from MLS or the city to the contrary (I have several calls and emails waiting to be answered), I have to stand by my initial claim that it is not a requirement and while it is not ideal, it could be a short-term alternative if not all the funding can be found right away.
Mary-Beth,
Thank you also for your readership and comment. You are right, all of my facts have led to the point you presented about the MC costing more to maintain than to destroy. However, because of limited space in the article, I tried to present only the 3 main arguements for and against MLS in Portland as a whole, and while the cost of the MC does weigh heavily on many minds in Portland, it was my opinion from what I have seen and heard in the public meetings, that the other three were the most debated over.
Thank you both again so much for your insight and your readership. I hope you will continue to read,
Wynter
Wynter,
Please note that the Council is indeed taking testimony on Wednesday at 9:00am from people who support replacing Memorial Coliseum.
At least one, if not all three issues on the docket related to this to be voted on may still receive public comment on Wednesday.
Now that people are realizing that doing nothing and keeping Memorial Coliseum will cost taxpayers tens of millions in the next decade, I'd imagine you'll see a counterbalance to the group of architects who want to keep it at tremendous cost to the public.
Wynter,
Here are several more sources that affirm MLS's position that the league will not let Portland begin play in MLS if both stadiums are not funded. The quotes are directly from MLS (which is of course the decision maker on this so this is the one source that would trump all others).
Is this enough for you to restate that point in your article?
www.oregonlive.com/timbers/index.ssf/2009/03/portland_timbers_go_big_time_i.html
www.fieldofschemes.com/news/archives/2009/04/3620_portland_timber.html
www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18:soccer-city-usa-goes-major-league
And these links are just from a search on Garber's statement on the issue. If you still don't believe this is MLS's position after a quote from the Commissioner himself, I'll be happy to keep digging. Pretty much anybody that has followed this process closely understands that it has always been a requirement of the league to not have the Portland MLS team share with the baseball team outside of a firm plan to move them.
In searching for ways to stop the progress of this plan, opponents are using the media to trumpet this latest talking point. Ironically, the Oregonian contradicts itself from previous articles where it said it was indeed a requirement to have a funded plan to move the Beavers out.
Wynter, we've got too many journalists just repeating fallacies until there are so many second-hand sources that it's difficult to see what is true anymore. Somebody needs to cut through the BS out there on this point instead of repeating the same misinformation - perhaps you are the one to break the mold?
MEDIA ADVISORY
April 20,2009
For Immediate Release
CONTACT:
Jeremy Wright
503-358-0694
Baseball and MLS Fans to Show Support
for Stadium Proposals
Portland Beavers Baseball fans and MLS to Portland supporters will hold a press conference outside City Hall TODAY, Monday, April 20 at 5:45pm to urge Portland City Council to approve the stadium proposals at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.
Date/Time: Monday, April 20, 2009, 5:45pm
Location: 4th Avenue Plaza in front of City Hall Portland, OR
Fans and supporters will be available to offer comments to the media.
###
As one of the people leading the effort to preserve Memorial Colsieum (see www.portlandarchitecture.com), I want to unequivocally say that we are in favor of Major League Soccer coming to Portland and PGE Park being upgraded for those purposes.
The Portland Beavers are also an important local team and institution with a long history. They deserve a nice park, although attendance at Beaver games is very, very low, so I'd argue they don't necessarily need a stadium in the Rose Quarter or any other land so central and prime to the city. Even so, if a new Beavers baseball park doesn't result in the demolition of Memorial Coliseum, one of the most important landmarks in Portland and a prime example of internationally renowned contemporary architecture, then we Coliseum supporters won't stand in the way.
Did I mention the Beavers got an attendance of about 1,900 last night, the warmest weather day of the year so far in Portland?
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