Local blogger Jack Bogdanski has unearthed a list of future construction contracts for the airport, compiled by the Port of Portland. Among the line items, this:
- $2 MILLION CARPET
Bogdanski asks whether the airport really needs to spend that amount on re-carpeting, when there are so many other things that need money spending on them locally. I thought it was a fair question, and placed a call to Port of Portland spokesman Steve Johnson, to ask.
“This is a project that is under consideration, and hasn’t been approved yet,” says Johnson. “If it is approved, it’s to replace about 20 percent of the carpeting in the airport, that is in the worst condition. We aim to replace our carpets after 15 years, and some of the carpet in the airport has been there for approaching 20 years. So we’re exceeding the life expectancy of the carpet, right now.”
“The carpet provides a warmer, quieter, more relaxing environment for passengers,” Johnson continues. “And we do get a lot of positive comments about it. This is just an early heads-up that this is going to be happening, but there are a lot of steps that need to be gone through before it happens.”
I’m really reaching the end of my BoJack tolerance.
Little bit of reference would be helpful: Is 20% of the airport 100,000 sq feet, or 10,000,000 sq feet? If it is the first, I want to be the installer, if it is the second, I want to know where they get that stuff.
does BoCrack know the actual square footages that this will cover? does he know what the alternatives are, or is he just bitching about a really big number without a whit of understanding about where that number comes from?
he may have a valid beef, but without corroborating information it’s fucking pointless.
oh, and no, i haven’t looked at his site to see for myself. it hurts my head to go there.
It is sad that an educated person, Mr Bojak JD, doesn’t understand that the Port of Portland financing is independent of potholes. The airport is self supporting. I, personally, don’t want it to look like, and smell like, a beat up, musty, college dorm. Sounds like the airport folks understand long term planning and budgeting.
This will sound gross, but unfortunately I sleep on that carpet. And I’m worth AT LEAST $2 million. (By the way Matt, here in America, it’s $2 million, not “$2million.”)
He did that to save you space on your precioussss serversssss…
Yeah yeah. You told me that yesterday and you expect me to REMEMBER?
I come from a city with a fucking terrible, dingy, depressing airport. Portland’s airport gets positive comments from just about every visitor; it’s a great advertisement/ambassador for the city. If they want to put in carpets made of diamonds, or keep building that Frank Gehry parking garage for the next two decades, I wish them well in their endeavors. (For Matt, “endeavours.” Sorry, Firefox spell-checker! Also to Matt, do you call a hangar a “plane park?” BTW I already know that airplanes are called “bangers.”)
It would be sweet to not have carpet, walls, fences, guards. Just drive out on the tarmac and jump out the sunroof to departing planes. This could easily save several greenbacks per flight.
I love scrolling through the comments section of a good JBog rant.
I mean my god why should anyone want to invest in what may be someone’s first or only impression of our city. Honestly why would anyone listen to a logical reason for replacing the carpet like, “we have the money and the carpet is 5 years past it’s original life expectancy.” Boondoggle I say…BOONDOGGLE.
They should use the carpet at the airport as long as the Triple Nickel has used their carpet. Once visitors stick to it then we can think about replacing it…but only think about it.
Our airport is often praised as a good one for business travelers. Presumably this helps lure business travel to Portland for conventions and the like, and probably also encourages airlines to use it as a stop-over site, which brings money into the economy.
Furthermore, as Stefan said, without context for what 20% represents, it’s pretty hard to determine if $2M is crazy expensive, crazy cheap or crazy average for this kind of work.
Axminister carpet, eh? Sounds fake.
Oops, it was Matthew not Stefan who called for context. Of course, I also agree with Stefan.
Someone needs to be called out onto the carpet for this.
Oh those darned libbruls and their fancypants carpets.
“Axminister carpet, eh? Sounds fake.”
I know, right? If this carpet doesn’t start tackling terrorists (WITH AXES!) and slaying dragons (ALSO WITH AXES!) the moment it’s installed, it is SEVERELY not living up to that rad name.
Actually Axminster carpets are the best of British:
http://www.axminster-carpets.co.uk/
So much for “choose local,” I suppose.
Ah, you beat me to it. I was delayed due to my confusion at how a company:
a) could have such a prestigious client list: http://www.cholleton.com/en/references.php
and
b) have so many animated gifs on their state-of-the-art (in 1995) website
Those Brits and their ministries for everything. I wonder if the Ministry of Silly Walks uses Axminister carpets? 🙂
DID YOU SEE THE
“Custom made hand tufted 100% wool rugs
for the Atala Hotel Champs Elysées Paris”
Woweee…
@R: You should look at your property tax bill sometime: the Port of Portland is one of the line items.
@luckymike: Very few airlines use Portland as anything but a destination. The exceptions are like Horizon: local airlines serving small towns, where Portland is the only logical hub for their operation.
“Marketing”: Using that logic, we should also run the red line more often, pave out streets, build some homeless shelters, and keep our police officers out of the national press. (We should do those too, don’t get me wrong, but compared to the other things, how important is carpet?)
“It is too old”: I’m sitting here typing this on a 12 year old computer, which by all standards is very old. I’m not going to replace it just for that reason.
Now, if the carpet is showing serious wear, or the new carpet will be easier to clean, or any number of other things, then it should be replaced. But just like the square footage of the airport, it needs to be considered in context, not just on some sound bites.
http://www.carpetsforairports.com/
JS posted “http://www.carpetsforairports.com/“
Now THAT’S on-topic esoterica!
@Bob (off topic): I thought you said that Jerry Car-Parker didn’t post over on that other blog? I looked at a thread about the TriMet budget and it seemed to have degenerated into him and the CRC “I don’t work for the CRC, I swear” guy denying climate change.
Matthew – I believe you’re confusing Parker with Karlock. Note that the climate change origins arguments were removed (as is now blog policy).
(PS… If you want to talk about this off-topic issue, you can contact me at bob at peak dot org.)
I can’t keep them straight. And yes, thank you, I have your e-mail address somewhere, (and you probably have mine.) At this point I’m just looking to make the comment thread here longer. 🙂
Oh, well, carry on then. 🙂
@Matthew D The airport is self supporting. Property tax provides 3% of the general operating fund for the rail, ship and container-type operations, not airport carpet.
30 comments on a post that didn’t mention BIKES at all! Take notice, Mercury writers! For god’s sake, take notice!