Lents? Not so fast...

The PGE Park renovation and Beavers stadium projects are decoupled. I saw the news on Sam Adams' Twitter page via the Timbers board, and now it's on OLive:

Good news, majority of City Council now agree that decision-making on MLS soccer at PGE Park and baseball in Lents will be de-linked...
about [1 p.m.]

http://twitter.com/MayorSamAdams

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/06/portland_will_pursue_soccer_re.html

Basically, the decoupling means MP and the city can go ahead and talk about what to do to turn PGE Park into a soccer-specific stadium without worrying about finding a place for the baseball stadium at the same time. The Lents Urban Renewal Advisory Committee was going to vote on the stadium proposal today, and there was a sense among most of us observing this process it might not pass. If it did fail, MP would have to find another site within the city and start from scratch. MP can now look at options in the suburbs as well as the city. And I'm just fine with going a little farther to watch the Beavers if I can do it in a nice new stadium.

Seems sensible, but what annoys me is that the new baseball stadium belongs in the Rose Quarter. How Sam Adams ever let himself get bullied by some architecture bloggers into saving the hulk of the Memorial Coliseum, I will never know. I'm hopeful that maybe the can use the Blanchard Building (owned by Portland Public schools) instead.

But anyway, this is good news for the Timbers... can't wait to see PGE Park get renovated - it'll be great!

I am thinking a new ballpark should be at Delta Park, where the horse track is. Make it expandable for future MLB opportunities. With a new bridge, it should be accessible for all the folks moving to Clark Co. for tax reasons.

Stonehouse wrote:Seems sensible, but what annoys me is that the new baseball stadium belongs in the Rose Quarter. How Sam Adams ever let himself get bullied by some architecture bloggers into saving the hulk of the Memorial Coliseum, I will never know. I'm hopeful that maybe the can use the Blanchard Building (owned by Portland Public schools) instead.

Stoney, I'm not so sure I agree about the Stadium belonging at the Rose Quarter. That area has been a blight on the city since the tore down a vibrant neighborhood to build Memorial. I need to be convinced that adding another limited use facility will revitalize it.

Right now it's just someplace to drive around.

Stonehouse wrote:Seems sensible, but what annoys me is that the new baseball stadium belongs in the Rose Quarter. How Sam Adams ever let himself get bullied by some architecture bloggers into saving the hulk of the Memorial Coliseum, I will never know. I'm hopeful that maybe the can use the Blanchard Building (owned by Portland Public schools) instead.

But anyway, this is good news for the Timbers... can't wait to see PGE Park get renovated - it'll be great!

Of course it does. On the Timbers board we have been bemoaning the fact that the city backed down when a few architects and the Blazers complained. The stadium would have brought people to the Rose Quarter on a regular basis in the summer, during the Blazer offseason.

up7587 wrote:I am thinking a new ballpark should be at Delta Park, where the horse track is. Make it expandable for future MLB opportunities. With a new bridge, it should be accessible for all the folks moving to Clark Co. for tax reasons.

It could be. The owner sees a lot of value in the land, though, so price might be an issue (per a TA member who has followed the stadium story very closely).

As for MLB, if it happens, well, okay. But I'm not anticipating it anytime soon.

Blanchard Building site.

Purplegeezer wrote:Stoney, I'm not so sure I agree about the Stadium belonging at the Rose Quarter. That area has been a blight on the city since the tore down a vibrant neighborhood to build Memorial. I need to be convinced that adding another limited use facility will revitalize it.

Right now it's just someplace to drive around.

Oh I agree about the poor development around the Rose Garden. I'm cautiously optimistic that the Blazers will finally do something with all that land in the coming years, but I am scared it will be done poorly and just keep that district totally moribund.

As for the Beavers, though, I think it's essential to have it adjacent to multiple lines of mass transit, and there's no better place for that than the Rose Quarter. Any venue that holds several thousand people needs effective and easy access to mass transit.

If they don't build it at the RQ, I'm guessing it will probably move up to Vancouver, which actually might not be a bad solution... Clark County has tons of youth bsaeball. Would be sad for the team to leave Portland, but I'd rather see the Beavers in Vancouver than in a terrible spot like Lents Park.

I like how the headline in the O today makes it sound like the Beavers are completely left out in the cold. The team is almost certainly going to stay in the area, so just calm down, everyone. Merritt Paulson is aware there is a fan base in the area and wants to stay.

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:I like how the headline in the O today makes it sound like the Beavers are completely left out in the cold. The team is almost certainly going to stay in the area, so just calm down, everyone. Merritt Paulson is aware there is a fan base in the area and wants to stay.

Yeah, honestly I think the O reporters spend more time reading the post article comments than they do reporting the actual situation... That and doom and gloom headlines sell more papers i guess...

Just minutes ago the city council voted 4-1 to officially decouple. Fish flipped on this one to make the 4th yes vote (but Fritz is still a soccer fan, just ask her).

There were about a half dozen TA there, posting updates to the Timbers board.