Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Portland's Downtown Stadium

Something very suspicious is going on in the Portland (OR) sports scene, and I don't see anyone from anywhere covering this.

Portland has an absolutely beautiful baseball stadium, PGE Park, directly adjacent to its downtown area (about 10 blocks north) and only about 3 minutes by public transportation from downtown.

This park sits well-placed where it is, home to the minor-league team Portland Beavers and Portland State University's home football games.

It's a beautiful park, better even than Fenway -- which says a lot. I've only been to Fenway once, and even then had a big thick neck brace on after a surgery, and sat in the far right-field bleachers with all the other mopes, but right after then game when the crowds left I sat there mostly alone and watched the park and it was a glorious thing.

And PGE Park is equally well situated.

So why are the city commissioners of Portland trying to undo this thing of beauty? The son of Henry Paulson -- himself worth $800M and a big architech of the Bush's administration's supposed bailout in the administration's last months -- is trying to move the Beaver's out of this stadium so it can be used for professional soccer.

He expects the city to build a new stadium, somewhere out in the Lents district.

What a complete, utter waste. First of all, this is a beautiful, functional baseball stadium. Why replace it?

Second of all, why can't the Paulson's build their own fucking stadium? They're worth $800M. What's stopping them, if this is such a good investment?

There is something very suspicious going on here, and Portland's city commissioner's aren't talking at all.

1 comment:

Dano said...

Look up north to Seattle.

First, they tore down the Kingdome and replaced with 2 public cost-private profit stadia. Then look at the basketball team. Seatlle learned its lesson and told them to pound f'n sand (well, not in public anyway) and so the basketball team is in Okalahoma and the city is still standing.

There are your instructions: rich guy, pound f'n sand. They do this to cities all the time. Tell him to FO.

Best,

D