Mayor does about-face on Memorial Coliseum

PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland Mayor Sam Adams on Monday announced a major about-face for the future of the Rose Quarter: Memorial Coliseum will not be torn down.

Based on opposition from the public, Adams said he wants to find a new location to build a new triple-A baseball stadium while keeping the nearly 50-year-old coliseum intact.

The new plan calls for constructing the Triple-A park somewhere between the coliseum and Northeast Broadway.

Adams is asking the City Council to delay any motions for another week so city leaders can figure out the most profitable way to have both the coliseum and the baseball park.

“The next nine days we will all be doing due diligence to see if we can make this vision a reality,” Adams said.

Earlier this month, officials from the city and the Portland Trail Blazers unveiled proposals to build a ballpark for the Portland Beavers, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, near the Rose Garden Arena.

The Beavers must find a new ballpark because PGE Park, where the team plays now, will be the home of Portland's Major League Soccer franchise.