June 22, 2003
Memorial Athletic Recreation Center Receives Warmest Response At Public Meeting For Coliseum Plans
On the evening of Wednesday, June 18, the public had its first real opportunity to examine the four proposed futures for Memorial Coliseum:
More than 100 people showed up Wednesday night for a public meeting on the future of the Coliseum. Many children and youth wore identical T-shirts from their athletic clubs and several dozen older men and a few women wore hats from their Veterans' organizations.
They listened intently to a presentation from consultants for the city of Portland.
Prior to these presentations (and, in fact, afterwards as well), all four proposals -- three public re-use and one private commercial use -- were available for review and discussion. Models, posterboards, and handouts competed for the attention of those assembled.
Most of the information presented on the three public re-use options by David Logsdon of the City's Office of Management and Finance and Larry Dully of The Dully Company is available for download from the OMF's website.
While I didn't happen to notice if it was an organized response, the only public re-use option to attract any vocal response from the crowd was the Memorial Athletic Recreation Center (pdf) proposed by Shiels Obletz Johnsen. My personal favorite, and much to my continued annoyance (because this will be a major hurdle) the most expensive, much of the crowd erupted in cheers and applause when the MARC portion of the presentation began.
As part of the study of public re-use options, a telephone survey was conducted, and some of the key results were listed: 48% of those polled make use of indoor recreation facilities; 67% were willing to travel up to five miles to use such facilities; 48% would use such facilities at least once a week; and 45% would so travel through means other than automobile.
What's next? The final report for this phase of the re-use study must be completed, including a summary of comments received at June 18's public meeting. This report will take the form of a feasibility study, and refrain from making a recommendation, and is expected to be available in mid-July.
Once that report is completed, the Mayor will form an advisory committee to review all work done to date, assemble additional findings and advice, and conduct an analysis of financial, transportation, and land use issues regarding the three public re-use and one private use options. The meetings of this advisory committee will be open too the public, and meeting notices published (we will, of course, find out how effectively).
By late Summer, the advisory committee will have completed its work and the Mayor will lead the effort to have the City Council deliberate on the matter of Memorial Coliseum. Prior to any Council action, there will (it was said) be a public hearing before Council with public testimony.
At present, it is expected that the future of Memorial Coliseum will come up for Council consideration sometime this Fall.