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Thursday, March 12, 2009

Build Out / Sports Blazers Want "24 Hour Entertainment District" in Rose Quarter

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Thu, Mar 12, 2009 at 4:20 PM

"Water is magic."

That is the cringe-inducing motto of the development company the Blazers are partnering with to revision the Rose Quarter. According to an article in Portland's Bizjournal, the Blazers and California-based developers Cordish Company are planning "to remake the 36-acre Rose Quarter as an entertainment-themed district alive with activity 24 hours a day, seven days a week." The Rose Quarter has around 10 undeveloped acres, plus four acres along the *magic* river that they want to see populated with restaurants, businesses and entertainment venues.

While new businesses and jobs in the Rose Quarter would be great (it's absurdly poor planning that there's nowhere to even buy a sandwich around one of Portland's busiest transit hubs, much less any high-density transit-linked residential spaces) architecture critics are expressing some disdain for the Blazers' choice of redevelopment partners.

"'Water is magic' and so is good taste," quips Tim DuRoche at Portland Spaces. DuRoche writes that he's nervous about Cordish's style of redevelopment, which tends toward big chain spaces and bland exuberance. He also put together this truly terrifying photo collage of previous Cordish projects (including Louisville's Fourth Street Live! and Baltimore's Power Plant Live!)

a24b/1236898134-cordi_vision.jpg

Who needs Hawthorne when you've got Rose Quarter Live!

Architecture critic Brian Libby of Portland Architecture also showers the design concept with some highly articulate haterade:

To repair the Rose Quarter, the Blazers need to integrate this area into the fabric of the city. Instead of forwarding a cheesy "entertainment zone", they should be looking to erase all surface parking and above-ground parking garages, then add a mix of housing, commercial and retail, and do so in a matter that refrains from thinking of the Rose Quarter as an island... We need a building scale that allows small local businesses and not just big brewpubs that host sports-talk shows and serve cheap steaks to people coming from out of town for the night in their SUVs to see the monster truck pull and eat at Tony Roma's.

Libby continues that he is arguably the biggest Blazers fan in the city BUT "please, Portland, don't let the Blazers be in control of urban planning for the Rose Garden, at least not without a very transparent process, good co-leadership from the city and appropriate talent on both the development and design teams."

Council's approval of the MLS stadium yesterday might hinder the Blazer's revamping vision, since the city will be pouring money into the PGE Park area. The Bizjournal article about the "24 Hour Entertainment District" (also, doesn't Portland already have one of those out on 82nd? ha.) says money for the makeover would probably come in part from the PDC. In fact, the developers note that remaking the Rose Quarter would "suit another PDC effort" — the doomed Convention Center hotel project.

It's also very relevant to be having this conversation about how businesses and restaurants have failed to take seed in the Rose Quarter while the City Council is banking millions on the hope that a new MLS stadium can revitalize Goose Hollow. It's important to understand that stadiums aren't a miracle shot that create new jobs and thriving business — that requires good planning. (and maybe an ounce or two of water magic?)

 

Comments (25) RSS

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1
Howzabout instead they take the millions this will cost, build a time machine, and go back and put back the African-American neighborhood, with all it's homes and businesses, they tore down when the Coliseum was built?
Posted by nickeyrobo on March 12, 2009 at 5:25 PM · Report
2
If I was a douchebag with a gelmet I'd totally hang out there!
Posted by Williams, Jay on March 12, 2009 at 6:56 PM · Report
3
+1 karma to nickeyrobo
Posted by McAngryPants on March 12, 2009 at 7:04 PM · Report
4
If there's going to be nascar, the aquarium should be twice as big. With big f.n. sharks. That are allive.
If there's big sharks here, who are the fishermen?
Posted by Lt. Billiam Esquire III on March 12, 2009 at 7:12 PM · Report
5
If there's going to be nascar, the aquarium should be twice as big. With big f.n. sharks. That are allive.
If there's big sharks here, who are the fishermen?
Posted by Lt. Billiam Esquire III on March 12, 2009 at 7:12 PM · Report
6
If there's going to be nascar, the aquarium should be twice as big. With big f.n. sharks. That are allive.
If there's big sharks here, who are the fishermen?
Posted by Lt. Billiam Esquire III on March 12, 2009 at 7:12 PM · Report
7
Like the 24 Hour part. Hate the chain store part.

Although there are plenty of stadium districts in the country that have as their biggest neighbors a grain elevator and a gravel recycler. Cause really, stadiums are pretty much useless sites most of the year. (Have you noticed the businesses near Snitzer/Keller or PCS? They at least seem to be going concerns. If we want economic vitality in this city, maybe more auditoriums, and less stadiums.)
Posted by Matthew D on March 12, 2009 at 7:21 PM · Report
8
A high class bordello would definitely be a 24/7 draw. Or maybe a heroin den.

If they are going to insist on something legal, I'd recommend an Indian Casino.
Posted by bruce123456 on March 12, 2009 at 8:29 PM · Report
9
Back in the early to mid twentieth century, when the land the Rose Quarter now sits on was the epicenter of Portland's African American organized crime scene, that area WAS a 24 hour entertainment district...
Posted by Tommy on March 13, 2009 at 12:36 AM · Report
10
"good co-leadership from the city"

That's a joke, right?
Posted by CH on March 13, 2009 at 8:55 AM · Report
11
Nickeyrobo,

Can't we same the same thing about where you are living? I'm sure you are in some gentrified NE area of Portland that priced out the African Americans in your neighborhood so you can enjoy coffee and a vegan muffin in walking distance.

But I do think this plan looks like a pile poo and I don't want the Rose Garden to be Disneyfied. But I do want a better eating option than over priced stadium food or Burgerville.
Posted by NATASHA! on March 13, 2009 at 9:35 AM · Report
12
A water park! With a water slide! 'Cuz water is magic!
Posted by Gorilla Monsoon on March 13, 2009 at 9:49 AM · Report
13
That area seems pretty blighted-couldn't we just throw some urban growth funds over that direction?
Posted by Donnie on March 13, 2009 at 10:14 AM · Report
14
I read this whole entry not being sure if by "Blazers" you meant "the Trail Blazers" - the basketball team.

Going to get coffee now.
Posted by ROM on March 13, 2009 at 10:36 AM · Report
15
Most everything Paul Allen has dreamed up business wise since he left Microsoft has pretty much been a failure. The last thing Portland needs is Bridgeport village next to the Rose Garden. Blech
Posted by BlackedOut on March 13, 2009 at 1:15 PM · Report
16
Yeah, I hate the [new] Pearl, Bridgeport, and probably this will be fairly pathetic. It isn't Oregon at all.
Posted by NIG GER on March 13, 2009 at 1:34 PM · Report
17
*shudder* simply hideous.
Posted by boooooooooo on March 13, 2009 at 2:21 PM · Report
18
This is where Garrett (cyber stalking TOOL) will hang out amd smoke/sell his E-Cigarettes...I will stick to Bridgeport.
Posted by Rondine on March 13, 2009 at 3:20 PM · Report
19
nickyrobo,
if you're trying to be better than everybody, you need to try harder.

"24 hour entertainment" with bars that close at 1am? sounds great. the OLCC is lame.
Posted by CaptSasquatch on March 14, 2009 at 6:52 AM · Report
20
Rondine needs to take her backfat out of Portland and back to where she lives.
Posted by BlackedOut on March 14, 2009 at 12:01 PM · Report
21
I wasn't trying to be better than anyone, I just wanted to point out that this was a neighborhood before that was destroyed in the name of urban renewal.

Learn your history, folks. This city has a long history of destroying things for something "better" that will save us. Also see: The South Auditorium district, Portland's first urban-renewal zone.
Posted by nickeyrobo on March 15, 2009 at 2:00 AM · Report
22
I wasn't trying to be better than anyone, I just wanted to point out that this was a neighborhood before that was destroyed in the name of urban renewal.

Learn your history, folks. This city has a long history of destroying things for something "better" that will save us. Also see: The South Auditorium district, Portland's first urban-renewal zone.
Posted by nickeyrobo on March 15, 2009 at 2:01 AM · Report
23
Garrett- I realize you think Portland should secede from the rest of the country but remember if that lame MLS deal goes through you will need us West Linners to support it. Think about it, do you really think the "I fancy myself a Vegan because I subsist on Peanut Butter Sandwiches" Mercury crowd are going to be spending money at the concessions buying hotdogs and pepperoni sticks?

Now why don’t you go trot your condescending high horse right over Sam’s new bridge mmmmkay?
Posted by Rondine on March 15, 2009 at 11:54 AM · Report
24
[COMMENT DELETED: UNNECESSARILY AGGRESSIVE LANGUAGE.]
Posted by NATASHA! on July 12, 2009 at 3:45 AM · Report
25
I lived in Kansas City where Cordish came in a built one of these districts calling it Kansas City Live. On the surface it might sound alright to some, but it's a terrible idea in reality. First, Cordish was sued and fined by the city for blatant discrimination for their dress code. Instead of a simple “dressed to impress” or something along those lines their dress code info posted at all entrances described what most young African American males would be wearing…and the bouncers only enforced on the African Americans. All Cordish does is bring in all these big box chain restaurants and bars that are overpriced and boring after the first visit. Most people in Kansas City preferred local restaurants so within a year of opening the “Live” district three of the restaurants went under and Cordish sued two more for not paying rent even though you could walk in there at what is typically the busiest meal time and they would literally have two or three tables seated. Cordish is just bad news…they do not care at all about the communities they are planted in and do not allow local restaurants to open in their space. Portland doesn’t need this company to help them. It’s like the Wal-Mart of entertainment.
Posted by skeeball80 on December 7, 2009 at 4:49 PM · Report

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