Keeping the skin

Once again Mayor Sam Adams has come under fire. And this time it’s actually for a legitimate issue! Adams’ goal to tear down the Rose Quarter’s decaying Memorial Coliseum has spurred a wealth of controversy. The Coliseum has sadly been an eyesore in the district for some time. There have been several suggestions to remedy this, but none so discussed as the mayor’s wish to have it torn down, and have a Triple A baseball stadium built in its place.

The cost of building the stadium, an estimated $55.1 million, would be for what? It’s pretty clear that the stadium would not create enough jobs or stimulate the economy enough to be worth the hefty price tag. In fact, the only people who would benefit from the plan would be avid fans of baseball. Which is great for them but not so great for the many taxpayers of Oregon who do not subscribe to “America’s favorite pastime.” There are many people who would prefer to see the Memorial Coliseum saved.

However, Mayor Adams states in an Oregonian article, “I make the assumption that saving Memorial Coliseum and repurposing it with a function that is economically sustainable will cost more than tearing it down and rebuilding from scratch.” So, is the increased cost of $10 to $15 million worth the nostalgic gratification we would get from saving such a landmark?

Issues regarding the proposed developer’s unsavory reputation further complicate the debacle. Cordish Company’s penchant for neon jungles, strong-arm tactics, and allegedly racist agenda, has many citizens fuming.

While their attempts in Kansas City to institute a dress code that banned “gang dress” may not have been racially motivated and more of a snobby attempt to clean up the streets around their, ahem, beautiful architectural contribution to the city … it is, at the very least, a flamboyant disregard for the rights of people to dress any way they please! A power-hungry American corporation? Say it ain’t so! Does Portland really need a Vegas-style blemish on an already marked landscape? If a recent proposal between the city and the Portland Trailblazers goes through, that may be a reality.

The proposed “entertainment district” might create jobs, but many Portlanders are just not sure they want a haven of consumerism rising from the ashes of the Coliseum any more than a baseball stadium. Especially a stadium that is estimated to cost upwards of $100 million. Mayor Adams has said, on the other hand, that the Memorial would be saved, at least in part. “Our goal is to keep it, at least the skin.”   

What might be a better idea? While the thought of another mall or huge department store makes me just a little nauseous, the jobs that a large business would create wouldn’t be a bad thing. Asking around at Portland State, the ideas ranged from putting in a park, to a Saturday Market-style community, to support for a library. One thing can be agreed upon: If the Coliseum cannot be saved, the end result has to be worth all the money and time that was put into it.

So what’s to be done with this landmark and the space surrounding? The bottom line is that only time will tell, with the politicians and investors left to squabble it out, as usual. Here’s hoping that Adams’ vision will pay off for Portland, both economically and sustainably.