As Mayor Sam Adams adjusts the funding and site plan in the Rose District, a vote on the demolition of Memorial Coliseum to make way for a new Portland Beavers ballpark will be delayed at least a week.As Mayor Sam Adams adjusts the funding and site plan in the Rose District, a vote on the demolition of Memorial Coliseum to make way for a new Portland Beavers ballpark will be delayed at least a week.
There are two issues. First, Memorial Coliseum preservationists seem to have won the battle to save the almost-50-year-old arena, as Adams announced the site plan for an entertainment district next to the Rose Garden would now include a renovation of the facility. But that may not leave enough land for a new Bevos ballpark.
In addition, Adams is proposing funding for the project come from a nearby development district set up to renovate older houses in the area. Since that urban-renewal district has not performed as well as neighborhood advocates want, the proposal is controversial and may not have the support of the City Council.
The overall proposal calls for a new $280-million entertainment district next to the Rose Garden, to be funded mostly by the city with the involvemnet of Cordish Co. Under the initial plan, Memorial Coliseum would be torn down to make way for the ballpark — an option still on the table.
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