July 09, 2003
Backers Of Pioneer Courthouse Square Ice Rink Returning With New Proposal
It's been a while since we last heard any real rumblings regarding the proposed ice rink for Pioneer Courthouse Square. But today's Oreognian fills us in on what it's proponents are up to now:
Details about a plan to energize the square with a "winter garden" are so sketchy that even George Passadore, chairman of Wells Fargo Bank, who was head of the Portland Business Alliance until July 1, didn't know about them Tuesday. Neither did Portland City Commissioner Jim Francesconi, who oversees the Parks and Recreation Bureau. And bureau director Zari Santner said she had heard second-hand about the concept but could not offer an opinion of it until she heard more.
This much is clear: About two months ago, 25 Portlanders got together on the square for a two-day work session with representatives of Project for Public Spaces, a nonprofit group from New York City that helps communities create and maintain public spaces. On the agenda: how to keep the square active during winter.
What emerged was a concept for a winter garden that would include some public markets and -- maybe -- a skating rink with a shorter season, Goodman said.
That meeting, according to the paper, was closed to the public, invite-only, and not publicized.
"It wasn't intended to be," [Greg Goodman, head of the Pioneer Courthouse Square board] said. Those invited to the workshop included members of the Square's board and Portland's parks advisory committee. The board paid the New York consultants more than $6,000 for the session and work leading up to it, he said.
...
Goodman himself is a bit fuzzy on the details.
"This is so preliminary," he said. "We haven't even had the opportunity to take it to the board."
There isn't much at all in the way of detail in this article to give any real sense of what the proposals might look like, but does indicate that the board will be discussing the plan at its upcoming July 29 meeting.
As for me, I continue to oppose a rink of any sort, although it's at least heartening to see that the rink backers have, at least according to The Oregonian abandoned the part of the original plan which would have flattened the Square's gently sloping surface.
But I'll reserve judgement on the "winter garden" idea until I see the details. And then we'll see if they bother to launch a new round of public involvement, or if they'll simply use the fact that their new plan was sparked by previous public conversations as an excuse to say they've already done enough public involvement.
Comments (2)
hilsy on 09 Jul 2003
I am also opposed to making wholesale changes to the Square. The ideal spot for a rink would be under the canopy of the world trade center buildings. The size is perfect and they would not have build an extra roof for it. It doesn't solve the perceived problems of the square but it does get a rink into downtown Portland.
The One True b!X on 09 Jul 2003
And actually, if you read the article. you'll see a bit about a ocal class whose assignment was to examine other options for a downtown ice rink.
A point worth mentioning however, is that during public meetings on the rink proposal, backers of the idea claimed that the area's rinks were strong and the region could support another one.
Several months later (if that long), the rink at Clackamas Town Center announced it was closing.