Quote:
Originally Posted by maccoinnich
Will you be asking for the long form birth certificate next?
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Ooh, clever, and not at all rude.
I simply question the spending of millions - perhaps over a hundred million - on Memorial Coliseum when Portland has so many other needs. Of course, if you know of a wealthy benefactor who would like to offer up $150,000,000, my point about the expense becomes moot. But even then, I would still ask:
Is this the best use for that much money? ...nobody seems to want to address that question.
Is this the best use for the land the MC takes up? ...nobody seems to want to address that question either.
The study is already a year old. It's downright foolish to assume that if one of the options is chosen construction would begin in the near future or even in this decade. Costs are going to increase. Just look at how repairs for the Portland Building skyrocketed all the way up to $192 million (and growing). At what dollar figure would Portland be better off building a new venue somewhere else and opening up the MC's land for development, especially considering that doing so would help raise capital to pay for it?
I wish more people knew how to think big - not big as in budgets, but big, as in big picture. I still believe the Portland Building and the Courthouse should have been replaced in one large building, after which, the Portland Building should be sold to recoup some expenses, even if that means demolishing it to sell the land it's on. There has to be a better option than spending $192 MILLION to repair an awful building. Now, I realize it's unfair to compare an atrocity like the Portland Building to a beauty like the Memorial Coliseum, but the comparison makes sense financially. Costs are ballooning. At what point is it better to consider alternatives? After twenty plus years of searching for solutions for the MC, I can't believe more people aren't asking these questions.
I think questioning is wise, though I understand why those who love the MC prefer the rubber stamp of unquestioned approval.