Charles Soccer Complex - Phase II?

There obviously hasn't been any additional construction work started or going on this Spring? Isn't there another phase that's
supposed to occur? Tribute to Clive, Walk of Fame and Trophy Showcase in the common area between the Main Grandstands and Practice Field? Even additional seating? Will it start this summer or has Phase II been scratched?

By the way, the College Cup Appearance and National Championship 2002 sign need a re-fresh of Pilot Purple....its looking worn and haggard! Cmon now! Let's give UCLA something to admire when they visit this fall!

GO PILOTS!!!

I was wondering about all of that, too... but the video and plans, etc have been pulled off the web site...

There was supposed to be a whole new entrance to the complex... what happened to all of that?

Good thread GUPhantom! This has been on my mind. Anyone with connections know anything? Stonehouse?

-SciFi

Honestly I'm not sure. I think the Wall of Fame and statue are on hold until a donor steps up. I think they are actually in Phase III right now, with Phase I being the new locker rooms and Chiles Center bump-out (which had the simultaneous purpose of being awesome and bringing us in-line with Title IX compliance) and Phase II being Prusynski Field, the bathrooms and the general sprucing up of the concession area.

Personally I hope it will get done at some point, but I also think that it might take a bit to get that done... they have tapped a lot of donors for the projects that have already gone in place, and I think things might be content to just sit for a bit and let everyone have a season or two without constant construction.

I think GUPhantom hit the nail on the head talking about the shabby condition of the Championship, WCC Titles, NCAA Appearances, and Olympians signs... honestly, it's kind of embarassing. But it's a bit of a sore subject... they know it looks bad, but the cost of those things is just unreal. So I don't know when those will be replaced. But man would it be nice to get them fixed, because some of them look terrible.

But just to be clear, I have no insider info at all on any of that.

I do know that the Chiles Center is supposed to be painted purple with a big white P on it, facing the main grandstand of Merlo. That was going to happen in the fall but it kept getting delayed, so now they are waiting til after the rainy season to do it. I know it's a silly thing to get excited about, but I think that it's going to be so awesome! I've always wanted the CC to be purple, and I think the logo will look sweet from Merlo (and very nice on TV too). Just look at this pic again, and imagine it with a purple dome and a big P on it:



All in all, I think you really do have to commend the athletic department for all of the cosmetic improvements that have taken place over the past year. I mean... new this year were the big signs on Merlo Field that look awesome, the update of the signage on the outside of the Chiles Center, the painting and signage in the main concourse of the CC, the floor of the CC (which I still think looks so good), and the black walls behind the hoops in the CC. That's a lot of investment and work over the past year, and I think all of it has really improved the feel of those facilities... you definitely get the feel that they want them look good and feel big time, not just be functional.

And just wait, when some day over the rainbow UP gets that land down below, we might have the best baseball field in the city of Portland (down on the water), a new track and a cross country trail, maybe a new tennis center, and maybe even a new boat house for a rowing team too... the future of facilities for UP athletics definitely is bright!

Now... we just need some millionaires to stroll in and fund it all!

The baseball stadium on the river is going to be awesome! I know it is in the long range plan... I just hope that everything falls into place soon. I have heard rumors of a massive capital campaign in conjunction with the lower campus acquisition to build all of this stuff...

Did anyone happen to catch Fr. Beauchamp's State of the University talk recently? I assume he would have said something about the land acquisition if there was an update... or might have hinted at it...?

PilotNut wrote:Did anyone happen to catch Fr. Beauchamp's State of the University talk recently? I assume he would have said something about the land acquisition if there was an update... or might have hinted at it...?

Oops... I actually thought about going to that, but obviously forgot. Was that the breakfast thing at the MAC Club?

I know a bit about it... mainly, it's still in the negotiation stage. I truly believe that it will get settled at some point (I don't think either side wants it to go to a judge, and I really don't think UP will just walk away from the deal), and since Zidell signed a purchase-and-sale agreement, a settlement would mean that UP gets the property.

There are just all kinds of liability issues to deal with and vet out... apparantly purchasing a Super Fund site isn't as easy as it sounds!

Seriously though, that piece of land (pieces, really... Triangle Park and McCormick & Baxter) holds the future of the school. The new dorms are going up soon, but after that... there really isn't any more space unless we want to start getting rid of green space, which I know no one wants to do. If we get that land below, it will truly guarantee a strong future for the University for the next 100 years. To be able to relocate things like the baseball field, physical plant, and tennis center down there, not to mention adding parking and research labs for environmental science and all of that... it's just so exciting to think about.

And everyone wants it to happen too, from the EPA to the City to our Congressional delegation to everyone inbetween. I mean... think about it. Not only would UP develop land that is just lying fallow, but it would be doing all kinds of clean-up and environmental studies (UP could easily become a top environmental science school with that), opening up greenway and trail access to the public... it's a win-win-win scenerio for the city (spurring the development of that area), the school (obviously), and environmentalists (greenway, clean-up, etc.).

It will get settled (I HOPE)... the question is just when.

I just had to play around with that image to see what it'd look like.... I think the Chiles Center looks much better in purple!

Great edit work!!

I agree that it will look great as long as they are able to keep it a nice dark purple color... if they paint it and it fades to a lighter purple... not so much...

Nice work, eFan!

See how cool that would look?

OOOOOOOOOOO..... Thats all I can say about that little update.... Haha my UP English minor in action

Geez Stonehouse....that was so informative! If you're thinking about being the future UP AD...you've got my vote!

We may have to wait a little bit though as Larry is doing so well all-around...not just for the Soccer Program...but many of
the other sports as well! I'm glad you listed many of the other facility enhancements already launched...and/or planned! They need
to be recognized publicly too. It certainly has been a very exciting period of growth for UP athletics, huh?

In regards to the aging signs...when I stepped back and looked at the projects going on more globally...I see how the dollars have to be spread around so everybody benefits. YES...they need a new refreshed coat of paint...but the colors are still VIBRANT in my HEART!! ....AAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! What a homer I am!

Not to be greedy now....but...I'd like to see another Futbol promo-banner hanging by I-5 or in back of the bleachers! That was awesome! Think the athletic or marketing dept will do another one? I think it was well received by the public!

GO PILOTS!!!

I know a bit about superfund (brownfield construction) and it sounds more daungting that it really is. Just takes a long time because the public agencies involved just move really really slow. I do now the use is perfect so long as there are no habitable spaces over the site. We will all have to be patient I guess.

as for the signs,
i can't conceive that the university doesn't have an art department. an i would be pretty surprised if the university couldn't find volunteers to spruce up the signs considering the support the student body gives the soccer program. the only cost would be the paint, and maybe the paint brushes.

Fozziewozzie, that's an interesting idea... creative thinking! I like it! But I'm not sure just a simple paint job will fix them... still something to check out though.

I might be totally making this up, but I'm kind of guessing that when the walk of fame, statue, history, etc. concourse is built, it will incorporate all of that information and those signs will become obsolete and just taken down. (Except for the championship ones, since those should always be displayed in the field.) So maybe the thinking is... let's hold off on spending money to replace them and just wait for construction begins and then we can just take them down.

Maybe? I suppose that would make sense.

The school has, in the past, utilized students (mostly kids working for the physical plant) to do touch-up painting around the field. From what I've seen, it's not feasible to paint over the signs because of they way they are produced. It just wouldn't look good.

Oh yes... the good old physical plant summer paint crew always gets to paint the rails at Merlo purple. It's almost as great of a job as painting all of the curbs yellow!

Needless to say, I was smart enough to avoid that and worked for the auto shop instead of the paint crew...

kftc.
ok, i can agree the signs are 'uniquely produced'. if the art department of the u of p can not re-produced them. my question is, how much would it really cost to touch them up?. i personally think that for touch up, the university can reciprocate with advertising in either the game program or a sign in the end zone would be worth it. how much is pride an tradition worth?

Just wanted to follow up on this... I mis-spoke when I wrote that the dome will be painted purple with a white 'P'. Instead, it will be an off-white with a purple 'P'.

Oops! Either way, it will still be an improvement... when I was on campus on Friday the dome was definitely looking a bit worse for wear.

I suppose it will look less like a zit that way...

It sounds like a return to it's previous color, which was indeed off white.

Thanks for the update, Stonehouse! I hope that's not all they are doing this offseason. . .

-SciFi