91ÊÓƵ

I just got off the phone with Kevin Brake, Portland Development Commission’s project manager for the Rose Quarter Development project. He says the RFP for the reuse of Memorial Coliseum is on hold indefinitely while the three teams collaborate on a joint RFP. When will the teams finish with their proposal? Nobody knows.

I’ve spoken with all three teams several times over the past few weeks since the joint RFP idea was brought up on April 28 by Mayor Sam Adams. So far, there seems to be little consensus on what a joint RFP for the Coliseum would look like. Brake says he wants this to be figured out in a matter of weeks instead of a matter of months, but that PDC wants to give the teams time to hash out their ideas.

Maybe I’m just cranky because the clam chowder I bought for lunch was watery with undercooked potatoes, but is anyone else frustrated? This building has been under some sort of planning or visioning for over a decade. This most recent round of planning has been happening since late 2009 and it appears it could take until the end of 2010 to even decide on a plan for the coliseum, joint or otherwise.

Look for a full story on the joint RFP issue in Tuesday’s 91ÊÓƵ.