Actually I DO remember Trader Vic's on Broadway, from when i was a kid, but I never stepped foot inside and only realized it was a chain when you mentioned it a couple days ago.

don't be knocking the champagne of beers. :P

Actually the champagne of beers would be Miller Highlife, not Miller Lite! :haha:

I have been to exactly one Blazers game in my time in Portland (last Christmas in the snow), and it was the most over the top, glitzy, not-a-second-of-down-time experience of my adult life. The pregame and timeout entertainment was as choreographed as a Broadway musical. The game itself was by far the most relaxing part of the experience. And it was very corporate.

In short, anyone who enjoys going to Blazers games would probably enjoy a Live! district.

I'm not sure that's an accurate assessment of Blazer fans... :shrug:

erm

Miller is the new pbr


also, please don't diss the Blazers. They have a huge fan base!

Architect fighting to protect Portland's Memorial Coliseum



Story Published: Apr 11, 2009 at 7:40 PM PDT
Story Updated: Apr 11, 2009 at 7:40 PM PDT
By Associated Press


PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Memorial Coliseum may be getting a nomination for the National Register of Historic Places as part of an effort to prevent it from being torn down and replaced with a baseball stadium.

Peter Meijer, a Portland architect and historic preservation specialist, is leading a group of local architects who won't let the Portland landmark go down without a fight.

They say the nearly 50-year-old building has historical significance, but they may have to move fast if they want the national register to recognize it.

This week, officials from the city and the Portland Trail Blazers unveiled proposals to build a ballpark for the Portland Beavers, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, near the Rose Garden Arena.

The Beavers must find a new ballpark because PGE Park, where the team plays now, will be the home of Portland's Major League Soccer franchise.

Plans put forward Tuesday are part of a larger proposed entertainment district in the Rose Quarter, and they call for the demolition of the Memorial Coliseum, which is next door to the Rose Garden.

"Now is the time for action," Mayor Sam Adams said earlier this week, as he announced that the city will partner with the Trail Blazers and a Baltimore development company, Cordish Co.

"We do not lack plans. We lack action," Adams said.

A public meeting to discuss proposals will be held April 14. Meijer told the Daily Journal of Commerce that he wants city commissioners to postpone making a decision.

Meijer and others say the coliseum has an innovative design.

"It's one of the best examples of international modernist styles in the city," said architect and preservationist Paul Falsetto of Carleton Hart Architecture. "I wouldn't want the coliseum to be a casualty of convenience."

Structurally, the coliseum was groundbreaking for its use of four cruciform-shaped, 70-foot-high reinforced concrete columns that support steel trusses for the roof. The coliseum also has a concrete seating bowl that stands freely within the coliseum walls.

The coliseum was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The firm also designed Portland's Standard Plaza Building, Standard Insurance Center and the Hilton Hotel.

---

Information from: Daily Journal of Commerce, http://www.djc-or.com/

It was fabulous and hilarious all at once, and you're probably remembering the Polynesian longhouse structure that jutted out towards Broadway with tiki gods beneath. Aloha! :haha:

I did some research, and apparently it lasted longer than I thought. Portland's Trader Vic's opened in the Benson in 1959 at the height of the Polynesian craze, and lasted until 1996. I had thought it closed around 1990. The chain nearly died out entirely in the late 1990's, but in the last five years has had a resurgence with snazzy new locations in big cities in America, Europe and Asia.

Of course, for those Tiki inclined Portlanders, there is still the Alibi in NE. :tup:

I'm not dissing the Blazers--I like the Blazers. I'm just giving my opinion of actually attending games. It's like being in an ADD simulator.

you guys heard about this? I read about it on Jack Bog's blog. :(

Rose Quarter Redevelopment Public Open House Event
April 14th - 6:00PM to 8:00PM
Leftbank Building, 240 N. Broadway

There is a growing "movement" afoot to fight the demolition of the MC!! Check out the latest columns on: http://portlandarchitecture.com/ . I predicted this would be the case....

I would love it if MC could be saved, I love the building. Problem is it is VERY easy to jump on these band wagons to save these places when it doesn't cost us anything. We protest and protest but don't come up with ways to make it financially viable. It reminds me of the Rosefriends controversy. Everyone up in arms, but no one having any solution on how the church could financially save a building that was literally falling apart. So as much as it would be great to save the building I am wondering how it could be made a financially sound choice for the parties involved.

if demolition of MC does happen, as much of the original building's materials should be used with the ballpark.

If you had read my previous post, you would have seen that there was actually quite a proposal several years ago for its reuse. http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...&postcount=179

There is such a huge difference between the MC and Rosefriends that its not even on the same page...

MC has a lot of potential in reuse because of its huge floorplan, unobstructed views of downtown that give it a lot of value, it is very modern, and NOT falling apart.

I don't know where people keep coming up with this idea that the building is on the verge of collapse. That is flat out a lie. It is probably in better shape than Union Station downtown - although in both cases the city is borderline criminal in its inability to conduct basic maintenance on its facilities.

I remember the whole MARC thing. It was based on getting $100 million in money from the will from the death of someone's widow (Kroc was it, something like that). Without the money we are back to it not being financially viable. LOVED that concept though, it would have been great!

Can the MC "shell" be kept, given a little TLC and energy efficiency, and be used to house the Live! businesses? It would probably look classier and less silly than some of the structures these entertainment zones are put in. It would also make for a great glassy rain shelter to view the city from while doing things inside. Turnaround on a project like this could be done very eco-friendly and quick. With less risk and cost.

Not putting the SMART tower in here during this development seems like a missed opportunity. It would help bring business to the area when there are no games going on, and be an additional draw for conventions.

Thats kind of what I'd like to see as well... we could insert program into the existing shell, probably having to demolish the "teacup," but could allow a huge amount of activity. Like Crodish's proposal for a 2,500 seat theater, or a concert hall, which is also part of their proposal.


I just got back home from the public presentation tonight - wow! It was quite the ordeal. I would say at least 85% of the public, if not more, were very vocal against tearing down the MC. Probably 12 or more people brought it up during the Q/comments period, each to great applause.

And, boy, did the architecture community show up in force! Not only was Randy Gragg there, but several professors from the universities, as well as a few prominent urban planners/designers. The AIA sent a rep to denounce the destruction of the MC, calling it an architectural treasure. Many of the professionals not only were against tearing it down, but the plan itself is terrible and doomed to fail.


One of the current proposals:

http://www.portlandonline.com/shared....cfm?id=239696


One thing I would really like to know is the current value of the MC. And how much money Cordish, the Blazers, and Vulcan (???) are planning or willing to spend on the redevelopment. And why the hell aren't they looking at actually going to the river? The current plans wouldn't even have any activity that is focused towards the most valuable asset: downtown and river views. They basically involve tearing down the Blazer's office building and repurposing part of the central plaza into a U-shaped retail building that would face the Rose Garden. Circulation would likewise remained nonexistant, with no entrances or axial circulation routes. Unsurprisingly for a project being rushed like this, it doesn't even include looking at the greater district and how to integrate the development into the area, despite the fact that Sam and the lead city planner repeatedly claimed that it would build synergy in the district and act as a critical catalyst for redevelopment. Only one of the panels included the extensive planning done in Lloyd Crossing and the Convention Center blocks, with no mention of the Np Greenway plan, bike access, or pedestrian accessibility from the RQ transit center. I, and many others, failed to see how it will help spur redevelopment of the district, as they neglected the most critical components: The River, Downtown Views, Broadway, Accessibility and Openness (to the street grid, which was claimed many times), and circulation.

Apologies to the length of my post, but Folks, we're headed towards a clusterfuck... Sam and the team are fastracking this project, we might even see MC razed within a month or two if they get their way. Which, I would hope does not happen, as I fail to see how this would benefit Portland in the long term.

I can't believe the city has spent years studying this area and has basically nothing to show for it. They were able to develop a comprehensive Pearl District Plan in just a few years, that has worked fantastically. And this site is mere feet from the Pearl! So much wasted opportunity.

Thanks for the report! Much appreciated.

Did you specifically hear that they may try to demolish MC within a month or two?