Portland Mayor Keith Wilson on Monday said it’s up to city councilors and the committee governing the Portland Clean Energy Fund to award local funding to the Moda Center renovation.

Supporters of the approximately $600 million project have put together a workable budget, Wilson said. But the ball is in the council and PCEF committee’s court to green-light the city’s share of the renovation, he added.

“We’ve got placeholder items for the funding,” Wilson said. “We still have to go through our councilors. We still have to go through our PCEF committee. They are the final arbiters.”

Wilson’s comments came at the Moda Center on Monday to celebrate the 30-year-old arena hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament beginning Thursday. Wilson sought to project positivity regarding Portland’s capacity to host major events such as March Madness, but he gave no guarantees of city funding.

“We’ve worked hard to make sure that we’ve got available funding, to make sure we can pull this off, but in the end it’s our councilors and our committee members who are in charge of the Portland Clean Energy Fund that will make the final decision,” he said.

Wilson warned that the city risks becoming “flyover country” for big-time sports and concerts if the Moda Center is not renovated. The possibility that Tom Dundon’s new ownership group and the NBA could move the Portland Trail Blazers to another city has loomed over the public funding debate.

Wilson said he spoke Friday with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, about Portland’s status as an NBA city and aspirations to host a future All-Star Game.

“He was positive,” Wilson said of Silver.

Wilson added that Portland must work to “make sure that this arena is a state-of-the-art home to not only our Blazers but to our (WNBA) Fire and all of the other events that use this home. So, it’s time to update the arena.”

The campaign to fund the Moda Center renovation got a major boost on March 6 with passage of legislation to use $350 million in state revenue backed by income taxes from players and others who work in the Rose Quarter. The speed of the funding legislation was “amazing,” Wilson said.

But the arena project still needs millions of dollars in funding from city and county sources, and backers are marshaling support.

“We’re building a coalition to make sure the Blazers are part of our fabric for years to come,” Wilson said.

Unlike stadiums at the center of debates in some cities, the Moda Center is publicly owned. The city of Portland took ownership of the arena from the Paul Allen estate in 2024.

Jim Etzel, CEO of Sport Oregon, said a major renovation of the arena will ensure that the 2030 NCAA Women’s Final Four isn’t the last major college tournament the Moda Center hosts.

“If it isn’t renovated, we’re off the map,” he said. “Infrastructure wins.”

Organized labor has also supported the Moda Center project push.

“It’s an opportunity for not only creating jobs, but making sure no jobs are lost,” said Robert Camarillo, executive secretary of the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council. “The trades are in a bit of a recession right now.

“We’re excited to get some people to work on that renovation when it happens,” he added.

Project supporters hope to see construction begin in 2027 and finish by the end of 2029.

The post Wilson: Local funding no slam dunk for Moda Center project appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Design concepts for the highway cover portion of the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project were discussed by stakeholders on Monday. Members of the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, the Portland Bureau of Transportation and ZGF Architects held a work session with the Oregon Department of Transportation‘s Historic Albina Advisory Board and Community Oversight Advisory Committee. The meeting focused on how potential highway cover uses would relate to public spaces, adjacent uses and the surrounding street network.

ODOT will own the highway cover, but there will be opportunities for community-based organizations to own the buildings atop the cover.

Construction of Phase 1 of the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project will include a portion of the highway cover. It will connect streets that are currently divided by Interstate 5 and add new land, allowing wider sidewalks and new spaces for community activities. Once built, the highway cover will be able to support buildings up to three stories, depending on the final design, according to the project’s website.

What will be built atop the highway cover will be determined through a public process in partnership with the city of Portland and ODOT. The process will include preferred opening-day and longer-term development concepts, street and path designs, and options for governance and financing. Then a Community Framework Agreement will be formed to guide future development of the highway cover. During the process of determining highway cover uses, input will be sought from the Black and Albina community through guidance from the project’s Historic Albina Advisory Board, the project’s website states.

During Monday’s meeting, Albina Vision Trust (AVT) Executive Director Winta Yohannes said the mission has been clear that the organization wants whatever ends up on the cover to create wealth, build community and celebrate culture. AVT also wants the spaces to be future-focused and multigenerational family friendly.

During previous meetings, two core concepts for the cover were reviewed. One was that the highway cover should be anchored to something related to health and wellness, such as a bridge to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, as well as provide connections to workforce opportunities and other sorts of possible partnerships. The other was the idea of creating more of a cultural district with some kind of anchor in the middle such as a performing arts center or Black history museum. What ultimately derived was the idea of a cultural district featuring a combination of those uses.

Design concepts being explored would maximize wealth creation for the community. They include a community-focused building connecting to the street, sidewalks on both sides, and a bike lane with a raised planter above the highway cover’s surface.

A bicycle network intersects the site, and public transit options exist; however, many people would likely arrive by car. But creation of a parking structure atop the highway cover would be a challenge, said Nolan Lienhart, a ZGF Architects principal and director of planning and urban design.

“There are some places on the cover where street parking could happen, but it would happen as a result of widening Williams (Avenue),” he said.

There may be ways to signify that the area where North Vancouver and Williams avenues intersect Broadway is a gateway to North Portland, Lienhart said. That could be signified with a sign, a gate structure, or public art pylons, he said.

As far as the possibility of monuments, feedback was that they do not build wealth for the community and that the design should include as much of the historical storytelling (monuments or art) in the public right-of-way or in public space not otherwise able to be used for wealth creation.

Other feedback included the desire for wider sidewalks and gathering spaces for larger groups.

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The 197,000-square-foot Veterans Memorial Coliseum, in Portland’s Rose Quarter, will soon receive some TLC. The arena will close this summer and again in summer 2025 to allow construction of a variety of improvements.

Portland’s Spectator Venues Program, within the Office of Management and Finance (OMF), oversees the Veterans Memorial Coliseum (VMC), which opened in 1960. The arena hosts a total of approximately 400,000 people at around 100 events annually.

The building has received minor renovations and repairs over the years, but many of the primary systems, equipment and furnishings are original and need attention. The Portland City Council in a resolution in 2011 voiced support for renovating the arena, but no plans progressed.

In 2015, OMF conducted a study of several renovation options for the venue, as well as closure and demolition options. The study confirmed the financial viability of a renovated multipurpose arena with upgraded essential systems, as well as enhancements that would increase the functionality and appeal for a broad range of events, a city staff report states.

The coliseum needs critical deferred maintenance as well as seating bowl modernization, OMF public information officer Carrie Belding said. The work will include improving electrical and plumbing infrastructure, the concourse, and restrooms, as well as replacing the scoreboard and audio system. Plans also call for seismic and safety upgrades. The seating bowl will gain accessible seating areas, as well as premium and group seating areas.

The work will be done in phases, so it does not interfere with Winterhawks hockey games or other events. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer in partnership with venue operator Rip City Management. The building will close in late June and reopen in late September. A second closure is expected in mid-June 2025 through early October 2025. The bulk of the construction will take place during the two closure periods. Some work may be done between events outside of the closures and may continue through 2026; however, no extended closure is planned in 2026.

The project’s architect of record and design and engineering lead is Perkins&Will, led by staff based in Denver. Scott Edwards Architecture is serving as the local architect. The team also includes civil engineer Vega Civil Engineering and structural engineer Madden & Baughman Engineering. Balfour Beatty Construction LLC of Dallas, Texas, is the general contractor.

The design budget, according to the contract, is not to exceed $6.1 million. The construction budget is $53.4 million. OMF does not anticipate costs will exceed these amounts, the department stated in an email.

According to OMF, $53.4 million in taxable bonds were sold in March. The debt service on these bonds is being covered entirely with Visitor Facilities Trust Account resources. This account is dedicated to investments in visitor facilities and the travel and tourism industry. It is governed by an agreement between the city of Portland, Multnomah County and Metro.

The Visitor Facilities Trust Account receives a portion of the transient lodging tax paid on hotel room stays and a portion of the vehicle rental license fee paid on car rentals. Annual debt service on the 20-year bonds is $4.3 million.

Design costs are being paid for with resources from the city’s Spectator Venues and Visitor Activities Fund, which is a dedicated city enterprise fund that receives revenues from ticket fees at Rose Quarter venues and Providence Park, parking revenues from the city-owned Rose Quarter parking garages, as well as an annual allocation from the Visitor Facilities Trust Account.

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The Oregon Department of Transportation is seeking a construction manager/general contractor for a $795 million project intended to alleviate the traffic bottleneck on Interstate 5 through Portland’s Rose Quarter.

A request for proposals was issued April 13 for a CM/GC contract with a guaranteed maximum price estimate between $575 million and $635 million. The work will widen a 1.8-mile stretch of the highway between Interstate 405 to the north and the Morrison Bridge exit to the south.

Plans call for the additions of auxiliary lanes and shoulders, construction of highway covers, improvements to surrounding surface streets, and upgrades to interchanges – including relocation of a frequently congested southbound on-ramp near the Moda Center.

In addition, three new I-5 bridges will be constructed, and multiple bridges will either be widened or removed. The project is expected to be completed with limited reduction in the number of travel lanes during construction.

The CM/GC will be part of a project team that includes ODOT, an owner’s representative and an architecture and engineering consultant. A best value selection method will be used to determine the CM/GC, which will be responsible for consulting, providing constructability review, cost control and estimating services, and self-performing at least 30 percent of work during the project’s construction phase.

According to the RFP, ODOT anticipates Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation goals of about 18 to 22 percent. DBE goals for each amendment to the contract will be narrowly tailored to the subcontracting opportunities available for each such amendment.

The project has encountered opposition from critics who argue that it will increase emissions. They also have questioned how effective the improvements will be in relieving congestion and improving safety. The Oregon Transportation Commission recently gave ODOT the go-ahead to move forward with an environmental assessment for the project rather than conduct a more intensive environmental impact study.

A mandatory pre-proposal conference will take place April 28, and proposals are due May 19. Substantial completion of the project is to occur by Oct. 1, 2027.

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The Oregon Transportation Commission will wait until January to decide how to move forward on a plan to widen Interstate 5 and redevelop portions of the surrounding neighborhood near Portland‘s Rose Quarter.

The commission, meeting in Lebanon on Tuesday, must choose whether to pursue an environmental impact statement, or stick with an existing, less stringent environmental assessment, for the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project.

The delay came a day after Gov. Kate Brown sent a letter requesting the commission “table the decision on an environmental review path for a few months.” Brown requested the commission wait until progress has been made on a leadership policy, decision-making structure and a study of development alternatives for the highway covers.

Commission Chairman Robert Van Brocklin said he would listen to critics.

“We’re not trying to railroad something through without listening, and we’re not going to,” he said.

Van Brocklin said the commission would carefully consider the governor’s letter.

“Her voice to me carries some additional weight because we serve at her pleasure,” he said.

The delay was, at least in the short term, a victory for activists who have insisted the widening project is the wrong approach to take in an era of worsening global climate change.

The project would add auxiliary lanes and shoulders on I-5 between I-84 and I-405. It also would change surface streets and highway caps surrounding I-5.

The project, which is expected to cost more than $500 million, is backed by construction industry and labor organizations, and many local residents of the historically black Albina neighborhood.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the contrast was stark between the mostly white Portland State University students speaking on behalf of climate group Sunrise Movement PDX, and the older, African-American residents of Albina who have seen their neighborhood reshaped by waves of urban renewal projects and gentrification.

“A lot of people are now talking about the environmental impact such a project may have,” said Larry Anderson, a 63-year-old retired Portland police officer and Northeast Portland resident. “When that freeway was first put in place, when it was predominantly an African-American community, I did not hear those same concerns about the environment.”

Climate activists said the world has only a few years left to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

“I’m here today because I’m scared,” said Marilyn Fleener of Sunrise Movement PDX. “I was born into a world that prioritizes capital over people.”

Yet some local residents said they welcome the project.

“This $500 million project represents a significant investment in the Rose Quarter area,” said Robert Hamilton, a representative of the Coalition of Black Men in Portland.

The Oregon Department of Transportation and other supporters have emphasized the benefits the project would bring to minority-owned, women-owned and emerging small business contractors. “Upward of $100 million” in contracts is expected to go to disadvantaged firms, said Nate McCoy, executive director of the National Association of Minority Contractors’ Oregon chapter.

“This kind of economic empowerment is needed in our community now,” said Jeff Moreland, president of Raimore Construction. “Do not – I repeat do not – delay this project any longer.”

The project is at about 15 percent design, said Megan Channell, major projects manager for ODOT Region 1 in Portland. The project was identified as a priority and partially funded by House Bill 2017 in the 2017 legislative session.

“We are required to design and build the project,” Van Brocklin said.

A “cost to complete” report is due to the Legislature by Feb. 1, 2020.

Commissioner Alando Simpson said ODOT has “become that punching bag,” caught between rapidly changing transportation needs and a long-established structure.

“We’re operating in a broken system,” he said.

Commissioner Sharon Smith said ODOT is moving in the right direction – but not too fast.

“Our organization is doing some course-correcting to focus on reduction of carbon emissions,” she said. “I know it’s probably not as fast as many of you would like to see, but I don’t think we can put the brakes on this system that we have in a way that’s not thoughtful in the context of this community and the projects that we have in front of us.”

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The Oregon Department of Transportation‘s bid to widen Interstate 5 through the Rose Quarter is encountering fierce opposition from some in Portland who say the project is unlikely to ease congestion and will instead set back the city’s long-term goals.

A public comment period for the environmental assessment ended Monday, and a meeting for interested contractors is scheduled for next week. ODOT is moving ahead with the planning process, and will now begin working on responses to public comments and incorporating any changes into a final environmental assessment.

Critics are pushing the state agency to undergo a full environmental impact study, a longer and more intensive process than the current environmental assessment.

The project is a reimagining of Interstate 5 along a 1.7-mile stretch between Interstate 84 at the south and Interstate 405 at the north, including the Rose Quarter and surrounding local streets. The heart of the project involves widening the interstate with an auxiliary lane and building new lids, or wide bridges, to connect surface streets.

The project is expected to cost $450 million to $500 million in today’s dollars, with construction lasting for four to five years, according to ODOT.

The project has come to reflect competing visions for Portland’s future. Advocates for racial equality point to 20th-century “urban renewal” clearances in the area that razed block after block of historically African-American neighborhoods. Bicyclists have raised concerns that the project takes Portland in the wrong direction, toward a more auto-centric urban design. Environmental groups question ODOT models that forecast lower congestion and reduced emissions after the project’s completion.

Some critics have compared the widening project to Portland residents’ successful fight against the Mt. Hood Freeway through East Portland during the 1970s. Funds for the freeway were eventually used for the other projects, including Portland’s first MAX light-rail line.

ODOT spokesman Don Hamilton said the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project is not comparable to building a new highway.

“This is not an increase in through lanes,” he said. “It is simply auxiliary lanes and a safety shoulder in each direction.”

Here’s a look at some of the most important issues surrounding the project:

Will it ease congestion?
The primary driver of the project is to speed traffic through the Rose Quarter, a longtime bottleneck caused in part by multiple onramps and off-ramps. ODOT officials pointed to I-5’s importance as a national freight route; the freeway is the main north-south route on the West Coast from Mexico to Canada.

“This is an important bottleneck to address to keep our state’s economy moving,” said Megan Channell, a senior project manager at ODOT.

Auxiliary lanes and 12-foot shoulders would allow emergency vehicles to get through the chokepoint. As it is now, police and ambulances are often stuck in traffic like everyone else. Vehicles involved in accidents, without adequate space to pull over, frequently cause delays. ODOT calculated accidents cause 164 hours of delay a year for northbound drivers, and 279 hours a year for southbound drivers.

ODOT transportation modeling shows the project would save time for commuters in most scenarios compared to existing conditions, known as the “no-build alternative.”

Hamilton said it makes sense to increase capacity on I-5 to handle population in the Portland area. “Let’s remember that there has been a tremendous increase in traffic on this freeway since it opened in the ’60s,” he said.

Some critics challenge the idea that more roads and wider freeways fix traffic congestion. They point to the idea of “induced demand,” which holds that more road capacity encourages more drivers to fill up the highway. Think of traffic congestion on freeways in Los Angeles or Houston with a dozen lanes or more.

“Time and again, cities around the U.S. and around the world have widened freeways with the avowed purpose of reducing congestion,” Portland economist Joe Cortright wrote in City Observatory. “And it’s never worked. “

ODOT’s traffic models also take into account projects that have not been built, including a successor to the Columbia River Crossing I-5 bridge. Although there is new momentum in Washington to fund the long-planned bridge, there’s no guarantee the bridge will be built.

Channell defended the use of the travel demand model, which includes all projects in Metro’s Regional Transportation Plan.

“The methodology is what’s used within the region for all projects,” she said. “It’s the best tool we have available to use for transportation projections in this region.”

Hamilton said models show the project would reduce air pollution.

“What we saw in there is that hydrocarbons will decrease slightly if we build the project, and air pollution will decrease slightly if we build the project,” he said.

Widening at Eastbank Esplanade

A less-noticed aspect of the project could impact users on the popular Eastbank Esplanade, a riverfront public trail for cyclists, runners and pedestrians. The freeway viaduct is planned to be widened south of Northeast Lloyd Boulevard and adjacent to the Esplanade.

“It is difficult to see how widening a freeway viaduct directly adjacent to a park facility, or perhaps even over it, cannot be an adverse affect,” Portland architect and blogger Iain Mackenzie wrote in public comments submitted to ODOT. “It is also hard to understand how this can be mitigated to a less than significant level.” Mackenzie called for ODOT to conduct a full EIS.

Channell disagreed that Esplanade users would be negatively impacted.

“The viaduct in that area is being widened with the auxiliary lane, but it would be the same feel as being next to the same transportation facility,” she said.

Impact to middle school

Portland Public Schools has also requested ODOT undertake an EIS, saying how it will affect Harriet Tubman Middle School has not been fully studied. The school district pointed to concerns about air quality, soil stability, noise and traffic and construction impacts at the campus, which is among the district’s most diverse schools.

“It is PPS‘ position that the depth, complexity and severity of potential significant short- and long-term negative impacts to PPS facilities, staff, students, families and stakeholders warrants a full (EIS),” the district stated in a four-page letter.

Channell said ODOT would work to mitigate any impacts to the school. “We will not do anything that compromises the safety of students or staff at Tubman Middle School,” she said.

Highway covers and bike access

It’s unclear what development potential could occur atop the top highway lids proposed for the project.

“This project is much more than just a highway project,” Channell said. “We have significant improvements to our local streets in this area, including the highway covers which reduce the practical and visual barriers of I-5 and reconnect the neighborhood.”

The Clackamas Bridge for bicyclists and pedestrians, just south of the Broadway-Weidler interchange, would connect to the Rose Quarter on the west side.
The city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee is not sold that the project will bring significant improvements. In a letter, the committee stated the project “would mostly propose rebuilding bicycle facilities on the same streets that already have them,” with some exceptions.

“We’re not convinced that it represents a substantial improvement over what’s there,” said Mackenzie, a committee member.

Contracting

ODOT is in the early stages of reaching out to contractors who may wish to bid on the project. From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on April 9, ODOT will host a networking event for prime contractors, subcontractors and agency project managers at the Oregon Convention Center.

The post Portland’s big freeway battle appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

A bid to bring Major League Baseball to Portland has gotten very serious, very quickly.

The Portland Diamond Project, a group led by former Nike executive Craig Cheek, has submitted formal offers on two large properties in Portland.

One is a Portland Public Schools property north of the Rose Quarter that includes the Blanchard Education Service Center, at 501 N. Dixon St. The property is zoned IG-1 for general industrial uses.

The other is an industrial site in Northwest Portland. While not identified by the Portland Diamond Project, the site matches the description of the former ESCO Corp. foundry that closed in 2016.

Earlier attempts to lure a major league team to Portland foundered because of difficulties finding a suitable site. Portland Diamond Project aims to fill that space in the lineup first.

Besides Cheek, the Portland Diamond Project includes former Trail Blazers announcer Mike Barrett and former state Sen. Jason Atkinson, according to a news release from the group.

The group has retained Kansas City’s Populous Architects, which has designed more than 20 MLB stadiums. TVA Architects is serving as a local design partner. The Portland firm did not return a message seeking comment. A New York-based attorney, Irwin Raij of O’Melveny & Myers, is serving as legal adviser.

The baseball boosters said they want to build multifamily units along with a ballpark. Both sites have “ample room for multifamily development, which can help alleviate Portland’s housing crisis,” Cheek stated in the news release. “We’re planning to pave the way for 8,000 new workforce and market-rate apartments to create a vibrant, walkable community around the facility, wherever it ultimately lands.”

The group is not seeking “new programs” to fund the ballpark, according to the release. Public funding for ballparks has become controversial after several deals across the nation left local taxpayers holding long-term debt.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, in a prepared statement, said he is focused on housing and homelessness.

“It’s my belief that city resources should be directed to these priorities,” he stated. “We will continue to watch the Portland Diamond Project proposal as it develops.”

Portland Public Schools was due to discuss the offer during a closed-door executive session Wednesday.

“The district is not really actively pursuing anything – more in listening mode,” PPS spokesman Dave Northfield said.

The PPS property has the advantage of proximity to existing sports venues – the Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The area is also targeted in the Albina Vision, a loosely drawn plan for a large-scale redevelopment of underutilized properties. The historically African-American neighborhood was disrupted to make way for redevelopment in the 1960s. Albina Vision proponents did not return messages seeking comment Wednesday.

The ESCO property is close to Interstate 405 and the fast-growing Slabtown area. City leaders have discussed extending Portland Streetcar tracks to that area. The area is likely to become more integrated into surrounding neighborhoods, said Tom DiChiara, principal at Cairn Pacific, a major developer in Slabtown.

“I like the idea of the area north of Highway 30 there becoming more a part of Northwest Portland, more a part of a mixed-use neighborhood long term,” DiChiara said. He noted there are many obstacles to a baseball stadium in Northwest Portland, including zoning, transportation capacity and infrastructure.

Portland hasn’t had professional baseball since the minor-league Portland Beavers were sold in 2010 to make way for the Timbers soccer franchise.

The Hillsboro Hops began playing in 2013. Its 3,500-seat stadium is about 14 miles outside of Portland. Portland also has the Pickles, a summer league team that is mainly for college players.

A 32,000-seat baseball stadium would dwarf any other sports arena in the Portland area.

MLB has two teams that have made noise about moving to new stadiums. The Oakland Athletics just celebrated 50 years in the Bay Area, but their aging stadium has drawn few fans in recent years and generated embarrassing headlines for issues such as sewage problems. The team’s efforts to build elsewhere in Oakland have so far been stymied.

Similarly, the Tampa Bay Rays play in an older stadium and consistently rank among teams with low attendance.

MLB could also opt to expand. The league’s two newest teams, the Rays and the Diamondbacks, began playing in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Phoenix, respectively, in 1998.

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A group of business, civic and philanthropic leaders are proposing a long-term plan to remake the Rose Quarter by reintroducing housing, a street grid and open space into the Northeast Portland entertainment district.

Members of an informal group are pushing what they call the “Albina Vision.” The group set out to reimagine the Rose Quarter, assuming only that the Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum would remain as anchors in the area. Everything else was subject to possible changes.

The group is presenting an early-stage conceptual plan to public officials, business leaders, community groups and media organizations. It imagines a sweeping future vision for the Rose Quarter that better integrates the 90-acre area into surrounding neighborhoods.

Urbanists have long complained that the Rose Quarter functions as an island that’s largely removed from the rest of Portland. On nights when there are no events such as a Portland Trail Blazers or Winterhawks game, or a big-ticket concert, the area can be empty and lifeless.

“It’s severed from the communities around it by infrastructure, and it lacks a 24-hour population,” said Tom Cody, a developer who is part of the Albina Vision group. “There are no people there. It’s basically designed to accept and release large numbers of people for events.”

The capacity for development is potentially among the largest in the Portland-metro area.

“There’s opportunity for 7 million square feet – or more – of new development,” said Hennebery Eddy Architects President Tim Eddy, who is involved in the Albina Vision.

In part, the Albina Vision seeks to mitigate past wrongs. The area now home to the Rose Quarter was once part of Albina, a largely black neighborhood. Several blocks were razed as part of city-led urban renewal efforts. Homes, businesses and churches were destroyed.

The Rose Quarter also interrupted East Portland’s street grid. The Albina Vision plans to restore some – but not all – of the grid.

“That grid was previously houses, it was apartment buildings, it was churches, it was commercial space,” Eddy said. “It was a full working, living neighborhood community.”

Apartments are a key piece of the Albina Vision. At present, there’s only one low-income building on the northern periphery of the Rose Quarter.

“So one of the cornerstones of the plan is we bring housing – a lot of housing – and people on the full income spectrum deep into the district, and that will bring a heartbeat to a place that was separated from its people,” Cody said.

The Albina Vision group was started by Rukaiyah Adams, chief investment officer of Meyer Memorial Trust and chairwoman of the Oregon Investment Council, and Jim Francesconi, vice president of public policy at Moda Health, and now includes about a dozen community leaders. Cody and Eddy quickly came on board, as did Zari Santner, a former director of Portland Parks and Recreation. Others include Gregg Kantor, the retired chief executive of NW Natural, and Michael Alexander, retired chief executive of the Urban League of Portland.

“We agreed that there needed to be a comprehensive look at development opportunities in that area,” Santner said.

The group hopes to put an overall plan in place before any large-scale development – such as a corporate campus – comes to the Rose Quarter.

It remains to be seen whether the group can persuade the major players, including city commissioners, the Portland Trail Blazers, Moda Health and others, to buy into their vision. But members said the mayor’s office and the Trail Blazers had given their blessing to investigate a large-scale vision for the Rose Quarter.

Much of the land in the area is owned either by the city of Portland or Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen’s Vulcan Inc.

Mayor Ted Wheeler said he’s had conversations with the Albina Vision group.

“I like a lot of elements of that package, including taking advantage of a reconnection in our grid system, and a focus on housing and a focus on rebuilding a community that was really torn asunder through urban development,” he said.

But, Wheeler added, the city is a long way from any formal plans to redevelop the Rose Quarter.

“At this point, we’re not really settling on – we’re way premature to say we’ve settled on any concept or idea around this development site,” he said. “There’s a lot of pre-work that still needs to happen. But I know those players. I have confidence in their vision. I support the premise behind their vision, and I’m glad that they’re engaging this conversation with us and the community at large.”

Trail Blazers spokesman Michael Lewellen said the organization had no comment on the Albina Vision.

“There’s nothing to say at this point,” he said.

Vulcan Inc. did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Albina Vision members are investigating possible governance structures to ensure their plan influences future development there. They’re looking to form a nonprofit governance group modeled after those in other cities, such as New York’s Battery Park City Authority, to oversee and guide development in the district.

The Albina Vision takes more ambitious steps than the city’s North/Northeast Quadrant Plan, which was a precursor to the city’s comprehensive plan that will take effect Jan. 1, 2018.

The Albina Vision envisions bulldozing existing parking garages and then constructing parking underground. The group is also looking into building large “lids” or “caps” – structures that would extend over Interstate Avenue and rail lines between Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the Willamette River. The caps would be covered in park-like open space, reaching the river.

“Nobody had a plan,” Eddy said. “So we created a plan.”

Ethan Seltzer, Portland State University professor emeritus of urban studies and planning, raised questions as to whether undergoing an expensive remake of the Rose Quarter should be a priority for Portland.

“If you really wanted to draw African-American families back into north-northeast Portland, what could you do with that money?” he said, suggesting new schools as one option.

Urban design isn’t the solution to every problem, Seltzer said.

“It all sounds great, but I’d be a little careful of the old saw: If your only tool is a hammer, all your problems look like nails,” he said. “Are we buying into something before there’s been an adequate explanation of the options?”

Reaction to the Albina Vision has been overwhelmingly positive, Santner said.

“We are very, very encouraged by the reception this is getting from various groups,” she said. “People like the idea.”

The post Foreseeing a district greater than entertainment appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Veterans Memorial Coliseum has received a face-lift intended to help the Rose Quarter venue compete for events.

The $5 million, two-year project focused on deferred maintenance needs, Mayor Ted Wheeler said during an event Friday to tout the updates.

The project is a “prelude to further investment” and will help Portland compete for a future NBA All-Star Game, said Amanda Mann, general manager of the Rose Quarter.

It also comes ahead of the PK80-Phil Knight Invitational, a college basketball tournament featuring 16 teams, including Duke, North Carolina, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio State, Gonzaga, Oregon, Portland State and the University of Portland, to the coliseum and the Moda Center on Nov. 23-26.

The project included:

• renovating the existing center video board and installing new HD video replay screens;
• installing new programmable LED lights in the arena;
• renovating concessions areas for more food and beverage options, and adding a new point-of-sale system for faster transactions;
• fully replacing the roof of the coliseum, pagoda and entry canopy; and
• restoring glulam columns in the lobby to reveal their wood finish.

R&H Construction served as the general contractor for the project.

The coliseum now is used for Portland Winterhawks hockey games and concerts. Wheeler said the venue hosted 430,000 visitors last year and turned an operating profit despite its reputation as a “white elephant.”

“It is in the black and has been for three years,” he said.

The coliseum has been the subject of considerable debate. The building is owned by the city, and has attracted some attention from developers. Preservationists fought back, forming the Friends of Memorial Coliseum and enlisting the National Trust for Historic Preservation in a campaign to save the building.

The City Council in 2015 commissioned from Bora Architects a report that examined various renovation and redevelopment scenarios without offering a recommended path. More recently, a group of community leaders has set forth a framework plan they call Albina Vision. The plan would reintroduce a street grid and housing into the Rose Quarter, while leaving the coliseum and Moda Center in place.

Wheeler said the city is still a long ways away from making any decisions on the Rose Quarter’s future.

“We’re way premature to say we’ve settled on any concept or idea around this development site,” he said. “There’s a lot of pre-work that still needs to happen.”

Veterans Memorial Coliseum was completed in 1960 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and is regarded as a strong example of International Style architecture. Four concrete pillars hold up the exterior glass box, with a bowl in the center. The design offers wide views from the building.

The coliseum has a notable place in Portland history. Over the years, it has hosted acts including the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Presley. It was also home to the Portland Trail Blazers until 1995, when the basketball team moved next door to what is now the Moda Center. Barack Obama, the Dalai Lama and other significant public figures have spoken at the coliseum.

Wheeler said his first event at the coliseum came during Alice Cooper’s “Billion Dollar Babies” tour. According to the singer’s website, Cooper played at Veterans Memorial Coliseum on May 24, 1973. Among the songs Cooper performed? “Elected.”

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An Oregon Department of Transportation plan to widen Interstate 5 at the Rose Quarter is attracting scrutiny as Portland‘s City Council prepares to enact the Central City 2035 plan.

A coalition of activists wants the city to reject the ODOT project, fearing it will repeat the mistakes of the past that favored vehicle transportation ahead of walking, biking and mass transit. Some are urging congestion pricing – tolls meant to reduce traffic during peak commuting times.

They’ve started to gain some traction. Commissioner Dan Saltzman, in a statement posted Thursday, said he backs installing tolls, which he called “value pricing,” before the project begins.

“Value pricing is a proven congestion and carbon reduction strategy, and it is an essential part of the project,” Saltzman said.

The $450 million project would add auxiliary lanes to smooth merging of vehicles on and off the freeway between Interstate 84 and Interstate 405.

It also would add shoulders to allow drivers to move their vehicles out of the way following a collision. Fender benders in this stretch greatly worsen congestion because of a lack of space for drivers to pull over, ODOT says. The corridor has the highest crash rate in the state, according to the agency.

The I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Plan has been significantly narrowed from earlier ideas to add braided ramps and additional lanes. The current project is more in line with Portland’s goals to reduce congestion and boost alternatives to driving, Saltzman said.

The project calls for an overpass for pedestrians and bicyclists at Northeast Clackamas Street and other improvements. Opponents say the plan would double down on car-centric design that creates more problems than it solves.

“Expanding urban freeways has never solved a congestion problem,” said Joe Cortright, an economist and director of City Observatory, a website that focuses on urban issues.

Cortright gave the example of a 23-lane freeway in Houston that has continued to see increased trip times despite repeated expansions. The problem, he said, is a concept called “induced demand” – wider freeways generate more traffic and encourage sprawl.

Chris Smith, a Portland planning commissioner and member of No More Freeway Expansions, a local group founded to fight the I-5 project, said congestion pricing must be implemented first.

“We believe it’s irresponsible to design a project before knowing what effect congestion pricing is going to have,” he said.

Opponents of the project have drawn on Portland’s rejection in the late 1960s and early 1970s of the Mount Hood Freeway, which would have segmented much of Southeast Portland. But the I-5 Rose Quarter project is much smaller in scope.

“I don’t view this as being a massive widening,” said Nolan Lienhart, director of planning and urban design at ZGF Architects, which was involved in early project plans. The project includes “positive changes” for the surface street system, he said.

The I-5 project follows years of work on the Portland North/Northeast Quadrant Plan, which was adopted by the City Council in 2012.

More public testimony on the plan will be accepted at a second City Council hearing Thursday.

The I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project is a transportation priority in the Central City 2035 plan, an omnibus document that sets the stage for zoning Portland’s core. It’s the first comprehensive update of Portland zoning since 1988, and covers everything from building heights and density to views of Mount Hood and requirements for bird-friendly windows.

A vote to adopt the Central City 2035 Plan is expected on Jan. 18, 2018.

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