American Institute of Architects calls for City Council to save Memorial Coliseum

The groundswell of support for saving our beloved Memorial Coliseum is building. A letter was sent from the American Institute of Architects on Friday to City Council members Nick Fish, Randy Leonard, Amanda Fritz, and Mayor Sam Adams.

The letter is signed by the presidents of AIA's Portland chapter and Oregon chapter, as well as the Institute's key committee chairs and several of its 'Fellows', the most honored and senior members of the local architecture profession (designated by 'FAIA' after their name). These are people who have collectively built the MAX line, much of the Portland International Airport, the Nike campus, much of Portland State University, and much more. Here is the letter:

Dear Commissioner:

The American Institute of Architects/Portland with additional support from The American Institute of Architects/Oregon and participating committees, the Fellows of the AIA, the Downtown Urban Design Panel and the Historic Resources Committees would like to request that you join a large contingent of citizen groups and interested individuals to speak against and vote against the proposed development agreement advocated by the Office of the Mayor in support of a baseball stadium benefiting Peregrine LLC to the long-term detriment of the Rose Quarter.

To date an inadequate public process has failed to discuss the merits of a master plan providing alternative locations for a new baseball stadium within or outside of the Rose Quarter and failed to consider viable reuse options for the Memorial Coliseum, a building that is listed on the City of Portland’s Historic Resource Inventory and is significant for the following reasons:

• The Memorial Coliseum is an important and beloved landmark even for those unaware of its architectural pedigree;

• It is dedicated to our veterans and is held high as an emblem of our collective honor for what they have given;

• The Coliseum currently hosts hundreds of events each year serving many different sectors of our community, whereas a baseball stadium would be used a few dozen times a year for one interest group.

• The site is too restricted to permit subsequent expansion of a baseball stadium on that site – it may be necessary to look beyond the bounds of the Rose Quarter to find a site that makes long term sense.

In addition, the Office of the Mayor is advocating a development agreement that lacks adequate funding and proposes work that far exceeds the financial capacity of both the City of Portland and Peregrine LLC to achieve success without undue burden on the citizens of Portland.

Your vote against the development agreement would signal the need to develop a Rose Quarter master plan inclusive of all interested parties, has broad local support, and is more reflective of past successful planning efforts within the City of Portland.

We thank you for your support.

Greg Flinders
President, The American Institute of Architects/Portland

John Blumthal, AIA
YGH Architecture
President, The American Institute of Architects/Oregon

James McGrath, AIA
Co-chair, Downtown Urban Design Panel

Paul Falsetto, Assoc. AIA
Carleton/Hart Architecture
Co-chair, Historic Resources Committee

Paddy Tillett, FAIA
Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership
Co-chair, Fellows Committee

Thomas Hacker, FAIA, Thomas Hacker Architects
Joachim Grube, FAIA, Yost Grube Hall
Don Stastny, FAIA, StastnyBrun Architects
Stan Boles, FAIA, BOORA Architects
Martha Peck Andrews, FAIA, Andrews Architects
Larry Bruton, FAIA, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership
George Crandall, FAIA, Crandall Arambula
Robert Thompson, FAIA, TVA Architects
Ned Vaivoda, FAIA, YGH Architecture
Ron Grownowski, FAIA, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership
Bing Sheldon, FAIA, SERA Architects
Roger Shiels, FAIA, Shiels Obletz Johnsen
Robert Hastings, FAIA, Trimet
Brooks Gunsul, FAIA, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership
Nels Hall, FAIA, YGH Architecture