Portland has big plans for the Memorial Coliseum, but major factors must be addressed before the council selects a design in April. Apart from choosing one of the three top proposals and arranging funding, Coliseum designers say the operating agreement must be finalized.

Currently the Blazers, who developed one of the three successful designs to be recommended by the advisory committee, have an agreement with the city that gives them exclusive control over the Coliseum’s operation. But potential planners of the revamped venue say the current arrangement gives the Blazers’ proposal a distinct advantage.

Although Mayor Sam Adams has insisted in public meetings that the arrangement will be revisited no matter which proposal moves forward, not everyone thinks the issue is being taken seriously enough.
Douglas Obletz, principal with the firm Sheils Obletz Johnsen, which proposed the Memorial Athletic & Recreation Center (MARC), says the city has not provided his company any concrete promises.
“That can keeps getting kicked down the road,” he said.

Obletz points to Section 2.2.3 of the operating agreement, which allows the city to reclaim the Coliseum with 18 months notice. However, the agreement also says the city would then only be able to use the site as a “Non-Spectator Facility.”

“Our project would be dead in the water,” Oblitz said. “That’s why we keep asking.”

But when the issue was raised at a recent advisory meeting, Adams immediately shot the question down, repeating that “it will be looked into.”

J. Isaac, senior vice president of business affairs for the Blazers, says so far the city has not contacted his office about any potential renegotiation of the agreement in the future. The mayor’s office did not reply to repeated inquiries from The Sentinel.

“[The operating agreement] is something very crucial to our business in the Rose Quarter,” said Isaac. “That portion is not something we’d be interested in modifying.”

Mathew Miller, director of operations for the Veterans Memorial Arts and Athletics Center (VMAAC) proposal, says he understands the Blazers’ reluctance to renegotiate.

“If I were in the Blazers’ position, I wouldn’t want to give it up,” he said. However, he added that he is concerned about the current arrangement, but confident the city will work out the difficulties.

Obletz remains adamant about the need to have the issue resolved before the RFP stage. He says it is difficult for any company to invest any more time and money into a proposal that is hampered by such an immediate obstacle.

“You can see why this is such a huge issue for us,” Obletz said.

For more information on the Coliseum redesign work, please visit www.rosequarterdevelopment.org
photo credit www.portlandonline.com/MAYOR/index.cfm?c=49522&a=270071