“But one reason I’m drawn to Obletz’s plan is that it’s a personal vision, an expression of the athletic Obletz’s love of sport and community and the goodwill they foster. It’s not a pastiche of ideas cobbled through elaborate polling and Old Portland-style backroom dealing. You can’t fake that kind of authenticity.” D.K. Row – [...]
Browsing the Press archives
The latest on the project is nicely sumamrized in this 6/24/10 article in the Daily Journal of Commerce: See: http://bit.ly/8YTUpL
“A verdict on the future of Memorial Coliseum has been delayed while three development teams respond to direction from Mayor Sam Adams to work together on a joint proposal for the building’s reuse.” 5/24/10 – Nathalie Weinstein – Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland (on-line) - http://bit.ly/bCjSk9
In Sunday’s Oregonian (5/23/10), D.K. Row interviews Craig Sweitzer of Urban Works Real Estate, a company Row calls “perhaps the city’s most successful retail brokerage firm.” As part of the lengthly interview, Row asked Sweitzer his views on the Rose Quarter: “Q: What are your thoughts on the Rose Quarter development process going on right [...]
“Portland Mayor Sam Adams continues to insist that three proposals for developing Memorial Coliseum and the Rose Quarter be combined into one.” 5/15/10 – D.K. Row, Oregonian – http://bit.ly/bjAUc2
“Many participants in this process — from city commissioners to the most vocal critic, Will Macht, a Portland State University urban studies and planning professor — have outlined concerns. They argue that even though this public process has embraced the appearance of openness and inclusion, it actually favors a deep-pocketed private company with a financial [...]
“The key to enlivening the Rose Quarter and making the Coliseum an even better facility is to add activity to it,” said MARC mastermind Doug Obletz.” –4/15/10 – kgw.com video is here: http://bit.ly/9A5LmB
Track & Field supporters will push hard at City Council tomorrow in support of World Class indoor track as part of MARC proposal. See: http://bit.ly/cmneqt http://bit.ly/bhcfcQ http://bit.ly/bVs2Zv “A plan that would include a competition-level, 200-meter indoor track as part of a Memorial Coliseum redevelopment was one of three to get a go-ahead from the Portland City [...]
“I haven’t heard a single person from ICURAC of the various neighborhoods within the boundary say that they support the Rose Quarter expansion,” said Chott. “The Trail Blazers have had the right to develop the Rose Quarter properties for the past 15 years, why are they deciding that right now is the right time to [...]
Onward Oregon takes on the Blazers’ Coliseum and JumpTown proposal and calls for action: “As you may know, the leading contender is the Trail Blazers’ plan to create an entertainment district called “Jumptown.” Many feel that such a district, including their proposal for the Memorial Coliseum, would serve a narrow demographic and will privatize a [...]