Although I'm not a big fan of putting a moribund baseball stadium in the middle of Lents, we should all keep in mind that the Lents Urban Renewal Area has been around for more than 10 years.

10 years of nothing.

It really highlights the bogusness of "Urban Renewal Areas" as a way to boost development.

If you don't like Lents, look no further than the Central Eastside Urban Renewal Area. The Urband Renewal Area is already past drinking age, and the only thing to show for it is the Eastbank Esplanade. The only business boost from the Esplanade has been for junkies, their dealers, and the hookers that hang out in the Honey Pots.

For the comment spelling/grammar police: "Urband" should be "Urban."

Portland may want to give up on "urban renewal" for Lents, but the proper way to wind it down is to close the urban renewal area, sell all the property that the PDC has gobbled up, and use the proceeds to pay down the debt.

This is just the opposite -- give $40 million plus to Little Lord Paulson, add more debt, keep owning derelict and vacant lots, and keep paying interest.

While the Recall Sam folks are out there collecting signatures, maybe they could collect signatures for referring this whole deal to the voters.

Portland has all kinds of planning. Not just in Lents. We have city plans. Metro has plans.

Mayor Potter has a visioning process.

What do any of them say about putting the Beavers in Lents? I'm guessing that's not in any of the planning over the past 20 years.

I think Dan Saltzman's insistence that any of the trees cut down be replaced shows just how phony and dumb this plan is. Are we supposed to be impressed by that? 107 little saplings as a replacement for huge trees?

I tell you what, I sure hope we don't have to wait for tiny little kids to grow up to replace these commissioners.

Why don't we keep the trees and
get rid of Adams, Leonard, and Saltzman? That is unless Dan finally puts on his Big Boy pants and votes against them.

If there is any uncertainty what I meant by get rid of them, I mean through recall and elections.
Resignations would also work.

Spending urban renewal money on a sports stadium and saying that it is of greater benefit to the Lents neighborhood than affordable housing, assistance to business or maintaining common open space is like telling a patient with a debilitating disease that coloring and perming their hair is a better choice than medical care.

Like coloring & perming their rich mother-in-law's hair....

"The only business boost from the Esplanade has been for junkies, their dealers, and the hookers that hang out in the Honey Pots."

Honeypot may refer to:

Espionage recruitment involving sexual seduction in reality or fiction. or

A type of sting operation such as a bait car or

Honeypot (computing) , a trap to help fight unauthorized computer access. or

Honeypots, a game. or

Honeypot (geography), a particularly popular attraction within a managed tourist area. or

The King Protea, a common name for Protea cynaroides. or

The Honey Pot, a 1967 film starring Rex Harrison and Susan Hayward. or

Honeypot ant, one of several species of ants. or

A song by the band Beat Happening on their self-titled album. or

?????????

Outhouse, or today, Porta-Potty.

http://www.achart.ca/publications/honey.htm

I have just been informed by long-time Portlanders that what I have called a Honey Pot, you may call a Honey Bucket. Or, more generically, a port-o-potty.

Garage Wine,
No need to apologize. I think given enough time we'll get over it.
I'd also like to thank Not for informing us that King Protea is a common name for Protea cynaroides. I was not aware there was a common name for Protea cynaroides. All this time I've been using the more formal name and people had no idea what I was talking about.

Saltzman has for this thing from the get go. He's just playin' his usual game.

I guess the destruction of Memorial Coliseum has been taken off the table, for now at least, but I am sitting here watching the replay of the Grand Floral Parade and wondering if anyone ever mentioned the coliseum's use as the staging ground for the parade as a reason to keep it.

How long has the coliseum been used for that purpose?

I like the Eastbank Esplanade. I like to walk a 2.5 mile loop around the Esplanade and Waterfront Park and stop by my favorite Thai place on 2nd and Pine afterwards. I guess that could be considered a business benefit of the project.

I wonder how much that cost to build.

Jack- When the City goes bankrupt, would any agreements and contracts such as the one with Paulson then become void?
I was just reading how when Chrysler went into bankruptcy all dealer and vendor contracts instantly no longer applied.

Keep your eyes on this case, as the outcome may matter a lot sooner or later:

Leagues back NHL on Coyotes issue
by Bob Baum - Jun. 5, 2009 04:36 PM
AP Sports Writer

The other three major professional sports leagues warned in a court document Friday that a ruling against the NHL in its attempt to block the sale and move of the Phoenix Coyotes would set a dangerous precedent.

The NFL, Major League Baseball and the NBA said in a joint brief that such a ruling "has the potential to undermine the business of professional hockey and other major league sports."

The three leagues joined in an "amici curiae" brief in U.S. Bankruptcy Court supporting the NHL's right to determine where a team is located and who owns it.

More at http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/2009/06/05/20090605spt-coyotes.html

Bill Mc sez:Why don't we keep the trees and get rid of Adams, Leonard, and Saltzman? That is unless Dan finally puts on his Big Boy pants and votes against them.

I'm for that.

Li'l Danny has big boy pants? Really?

Rose Quarter? Lents? Of all available choices for space to build a baseball stadium, are these the best choices? Are they even in the top ten? Couldn't they come up with better locations by throwing darts at a map?

What bothers me most about this is the notion that the land is "free". As if parks have no value, do not contribute to neighborhood livability, health, economic development or anything else.
And outer SE is already park deficient.
At the very least, Paulsen should have to buy the city an equal number of acres reasonably nearby to replace the lost park acres.

Paulson -- buy real estate in Portland? Ha! Ha!

He does have a lovely spot in L.O., financed by dad, but don't expect that family to buy any dirt in Portland any time soon.

All this time I've been using the more formal name and people had no idea what I was talking about.

What's new?

Wow! Following the stream of consciousness dialogues here is like reading Edgar Cayce transcripts. But you do push my vocabulary!
here is the King
http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/king_protea.htm