I have great respect for Doug Obletz and his MARC plan. We should have more Portlanders like Doug trying to build places of value for the city.
That said, I found the MARC presentation to be a little bit too populist and trite. The accompanying video played "Imagine" by John Lennon as its soundtrack, and compared gutting Memorial Coliseum for the MARC as Portland's new "Pioneer Square moment". I love the idea of the MC remaining a public building, but I'm not going to sing any happy songs if the wrecking ball comes to the interior of the Coliseum.
It is interesting that the MARC team was joined by TVA Architects and Peter Meijer Architect, both of Portland, and Washington, D.C.-based Brailsford & Dunlavey, facility planners and economic consultants. Peter Meijer was a key instigator in getting the Coliseum on the National Historic Registry, yet the MARC proposal seeks to remove the interior bowl. Things that make you go hmmm?
That said, I found the MARC presentation to be a little bit too populist and trite. The accompanying video played "Imagine" by John Lennon as its soundtrack, and compared gutting Memorial Coliseum for the MARC as Portland's new "Pioneer Square moment". I love the idea of the MC remaining a public building, but I'm not going to sing any happy songs if the wrecking ball comes to the interior of the Coliseum.