“Another frontrunner is developer Doug Obletz’s idea to turn Memorial Coliseum into a massive public sports facility called the Memorial Athletic and Recreation Center (MARC). ”Can any of these ideas compete with Paul Allen’s deep pockets, the Blazers’ media machine, and their legal lock on the Rose Quarter? This is an uphill battle,” says Obletz. That doesn’t mean Obletz doesn’t plan to fight. In Obletz’s plan, the coliseum’s bowl would be torn out to make room for an Olympic-size swimming pool, ice rink, and 6,500-seat arena to completely fill the coliseum’s 3.1-acre site.”
“[The Blazers'] Isaac also confirms that the Blazers might drop their plan to revamp the entire Rose Quarter if the option chosen for Memorial Coliseum is at odds with their vision, like Obletz’s MARC concept.”
–Sarah Mirk, Portland Mercury, 2/4/10 -http://bit.ly/bSAuNI