August 18, 2003
Alternative Options For Memorial Coliseum
Declaring that what appear to be the top two options for the future of Memorial Coliseum (big box retail or the amateur sports complex) "don't offer enough," a commentary in this weekend's Sunday Oregonian outlines other possibilities concocted by graduate students at Portland State University.
Those proposals: A headquarters hotel; an arts center; a sustainable technology center; and an urban home center.
It should come as no surprise that I think we should ignore any "home center" plan, and although I understand the clear benefits of having a so-called headquaters hotel in close proximity to the convention center, I still need to be sold on the idea of building one at Memorial Coliseum (although I find some of the specifics in their proposal somewhat appealing).
Of the remaining two, I would tend to lean towards the arts center, although it would require various local institutions -- ballet, symphony, opera, and theater -- to agree to house themselves together at the Coliseum space. I'm not sure whether they'd all be interested in doing so.
I'm trying to catch up on several items here, so I won't hash out any of the proposals here. But they should definitely be added to the discussion.
Comments (1)
tomwsmf on 19 Aug 2003
One could hope for an alternative to the Schnitzers over priced symphonias. Far be it for me to gripe, but maybe one Adams or Glass production a decade might make a welcome change from the blue haired bill.
Getting a stable company though is a tough nut to crack. Expensive as well.
Do the Expos have any training in neomoderm music?
-tomwsmf