Memorial Coliseum: Move it to save it

By Ted Hinds of Portland, Oregon. Ted is vice president of marketing for an automotive technology firm, and is a local activist.

Last month, as Memorial Day 2006 passed with the typical reverence it receives in contemporary Americana -- flag flying, wreath laying, ceremonial services, etc. -- I took a moment to deviate from my commute and stop briefly at Portland's largest memorial icon, Veterans' Memorial Coliseum. Some fresh flowers and a couple of quiet visitors at the black granite wall where the names of those who left Portland to serve their country in times of war, but never returned, are carved was the only requiem to be observed there. Throughout the day, however, I took notice of the 'Glass Palace' that sits on the eastern bank of the Willamette River, overlooking downtown Portland. To me and many other long-time Oregonians, you must understand, the Coliseum is the memorial.

The debate over the future of Memorial Coliseum has raged sporadically since plans for the modern Rose Garden Arena that now stands next to it were approved. Local real estate developers and politicians seem to salivate at the potential of the land where the Coliseum now sits. Everything from luxury hotels to 'big box' department stores have been floated as potential uses. With the completion of the Rose Garden and Rose Quarter complex, they argued that Memorial Coliseum was obsolete (and many citizens took notice of the conflict of interest between the Oregon Arena Corporation and Coliseum). However, pro-business politicians, local developers, and even a Microsoft billionaire had one nemesis that none dared challenge too vocally -- Oregon's veterans groups.

Portland's Memorial Coliseum was completed in 1960 and was financed by an $8 million public bond. Support for the bond issue was gained by the provision that the new sports arena would serve as a memorial to veterans. The debate at the time came when the losses of World War II were only a decade away in memory and America was involved in the Korean War. What was politically shrewd then has become political dynamite now. Veterans' groups have repelled attempts to demolish the Coliseum since the Rose Garden was completed. Now that American soldiers are dying every day in Iraq or Afghanistan as a result of President Bush's 'pre-emptive' war strategy, it's doubtful that any politician is going advocate destroying Oregon's biggest war memorial any time soon.

Recently, speculation for Memorial Coliseum has turned to converting the facility into a recreational center, outdoor amphitheater, or other public facility. Portland's last public study of options for the Coliseum was completed in 2003, with considerable enthusiasm from Mayor Vera Katz. Various reuse options for the Coliseum were estimated to cost between $40 million and $100 million. Capital upgrades to keep the Coliseum operating in its current form are estimated at $10 million for repairs to the roof, lighting, plumbing, etc. Commissioner Erik Sten even lobbied the Salvation Army for funds from McDonald's heiress, Joan Kroc's, $1.5 billion gift to be used for community centers, but was denied. Any strategy that involved remodeling the Coliseum, it seemed, would remain prohibitively costly.

All discussion of the future of Memorial Coliseum to date, however, has focused on either reuse of the existing facility in one form or another, or its destruction in favor of the potential use of the land where it sits. Yet there is another option which has not been considered -- dismantling, selling, and moving Memorial Coliseum to a new location in Oregon where it can experience a new lease on life and expand its role as a monument to veterans to include veterans from the entire state. This option is not so unbelievable once the construction of the Coliseum is taken into account. Furthermore, there are several potential sites where the Coliseum could stand proud once more, and one in particular that just happens to be in the market for a new sports arena'the University of Oregon.

The famous glass facade of the Coliseum has no structural properties and is essentially a glass curtain between the outer footings of the building and the cantilevered, steel beams that support the roof system. The load of the building itself is supported by four massive, reinforced concrete pillars. The sections of glass wall could be dismantled without compromising the structure of the building, loaded on standard truck beds, and transported to a new site for reassembly. Likewise, the cantilevered beams could be disassembled and moved. Removal of internal fixtures like the seats and toilets could be scheduled at the same time as the dismantling of the glass facade.

The University of Oregon has started and stopped preparations for a new basketball arena to replace McArthur Court since the early 1990s, with escalating costs and difficulty in obtaining private financing being the perennial reasons for postponement of the project. Recent estimates have put the cost of a new, 12,500 seat arena (the size of Memorial Coliseum) in the range of $160 million to $180 million. By relocating Memorial Coliseum to the University of Oregon, much of the commodity and fixture costs would be eliminated. Veteran's Memorial Coliseum would proudly rise again with modern wiring, plumbing, and other infrastructure needs. The memorial purpose of the building would be expanded to include the names of all Oregonians who have perished in the line of duty to their country. If not Eugene, then perhaps Oregon State in Corvallis (which also has an aging sports arena), the rapidly growing Medford-Ashland area, or the state fairgrounds in Salem. Any candidate location for the Coliseum would benefit from a bargain on a new arena, while the City of Portland could use the funds from selling the reusable portion of the Coliseum for other needed projects.

In the meantime, Portland's Memorial Coliseum rests stoically in need of basic improvements, as it continues to host events ranging from college basketball to rap and rock concerts. What is certain is that Memorial Coliseum deserves more respect than it is receiving. The Coliseum is an architectural gem of the outside-inside style that was pioneered here in Oregon by such architects as Pietro Belluschi and John Yeon. The Coliseum is a historic venue where the Trailblazers won an NBA title, the USA's first 'Dream Team' debuted on route to Olympic gold, and everybody from The Beatles to Led Zeppelin would entertain local audiences. The Coliseum is four years away from eligibility as a National Historic Landmark. The Coliseum is also, lest we forget, a Veteran's Memorial.