View Full Version : Portland’s MLS Deadline Extended Until Winter
bright
01 Oct 2009, 07:40 PM
http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2009/10/01/portlands-major-league-soccer-deadline-extended-until-winter/
The deadline — which had moved from Sept. 1 initially to Oct. 1 — to negotiate all the details of the final financial agreement has now been extended until December or January, when construction was to begin on the renovation project, according to the city’s initial timeline below.
If you will recall from this article about the agreement that passed in late July http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/07/31_million_pge_park_renovation.html
The city was going to contribute $11.2 million towards the renovations by issuing zero-coupon bonds by Oct. 1.
The Paulsons are also running into a roadblock in Beaverton as they try to acquire property for their new baseball stadium. The land owner says he won't sell, and a majority of the city council is opposed to the use of eminent domain in this instance.
Lendog
03 Oct 2009, 03:31 PM
Do you have your 2011 Timbers season tickets reserved yet?
bright
03 Oct 2009, 03:38 PM
Do you have your 2011 Timbers season tickets reserved yet?
I bought a hundred for charity.
FrankMiller
05 Oct 2009, 11:15 AM
What happens if the deadline passes?
The 92nd Fish
05 Oct 2009, 11:41 AM
What happens if the deadline passes?
Montreal. Nah being serious they'll probably just extend it again no doubt.
400lb Gorilla
05 Oct 2009, 08:15 PM
Montreal. Nah being serious they'll probably just extend it again no doubt.
Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner.
bright
06 Oct 2009, 03:11 PM
Beaverton city council heard a presentation about the new baseball stadium, which received a negative public reaction.
http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2009/10/beaverton_residents_oppose_or.html
http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2009/10/beaverton_baseball_consultant.html
Also, the campaign to recall Portland Mayor Sam Adams has failed to collect enough signatures to bring a recall election.
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/10/recall_campaign_will_rise_or_f.html
CACuzcatlan
06 Oct 2009, 03:15 PM
Beaverton city council heard a presentation about the new baseball stadium, which received a negative public reaction.
http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2009/10/beaverton_residents_oppose_or.html
Also, the campaign to recall Portland Mayor Sam Adams has failed to collect enough signatures to bring a recall election.
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/10/recall_campaign_will_rise_or_f.html
Is this good news or bad news for MLS? The mayor is in favor of MLS, right?
bright
06 Oct 2009, 03:18 PM
Is this good news or bad news for MLS? The mayor is in favor of MLS, right?
The recall events are good news as the mayor has been one of the leaders of the MLS effort.
The baseball stadium situation will ultimately affect the bottom-line and overall focus of the ownership group, since they own both the Timbers and Beavers baseball team.
Fenerbace
06 Oct 2009, 03:53 PM
The baseball stadium has no more bearing on MLS in Portland than if say VfB Stuttgart ran into difficulties completing their south end stands at the Mercedes Benz Arena.
prk166
06 Oct 2009, 06:30 PM
Sorry, what's the scoop on Portland again? Why won't they be playing in the MLS in 2011?
Yoshou
06 Oct 2009, 06:52 PM
I would be extremely surprised if Portland is not playing MLS in 2011. The city just moved the date as to when financing is to be in place. It was scheduled to be October 1st, but they changed the date to December-January time frame. The problems with the Beavers isn't a problem for the Timbers and the issues with Sam Adams is even less of a problem now than it was before the recall effort failed.
j66j66
06 Oct 2009, 07:04 PM
Another complication: bikes may soon be prevented from travelling through River West cemetary:
http://portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=125434332392345900
bright
06 Oct 2009, 07:07 PM
The problems with the Beavers isn't a problem for the Timbers
If a stadium for the Beavers isn't built in the Portland area, the Paulsons will have to relocate the team to another city or sell them. If they sell the team, they take a hit to their overall revenue stream, but it would allow them to dedicate full focus to the soccer side of operations.
and the issues with Sam Adams is even less of a problem now than it was before the recall effort failed.
Sam Adams' issues are not a problem at all now. They were a problem earlier this year. For instance, it affected his ability to push the Rose Quarter development through which would have gotten the baseball stadium built and the entire financial agreement squared away back in May. The future spectator fund revenue from the baseball stadium would have been part of the package to pay for the PGE Park renovations. As of now, we still don't have the financial package finalized.
gstommylee
07 Oct 2009, 12:51 AM
Sorry, what's the scoop on Portland again? Why won't they be playing in the MLS in 2011?
I think someone was making a joke. I don't see why Portland wouldn't Worst case there's a construction delay with the revamp for PGE park which won't be a problem cause Union's stadium had construction delay and won't be done in time before 2010 season that's why Seattle is hosting the Union.
gstommylee
07 Oct 2009, 12:54 AM
I think the reason why the bonds hasn't been issued yet cause the design plan for the revamp PGE Park hasn't been finished yet. Merritt could have already found someone to sell the bonds to just waiting till the Design plan is finished.
bright
07 Oct 2009, 10:12 AM
I think the reason why the bonds hasn't been issued yet cause the design plan for the revamp PGE Park hasn't been finished yet. Merritt could have already found someone to sell the bonds to just waiting till the Design plan is finished.
It's the other way around. The bonds were scheduled to be offered by October 1st, and the offer would have been based on the preliminary package that what was voted on back in July. However, there have been financial setbacks. The designs can't be finalized until they know how much money is actually available. As it stands, the only money available is what the Paulsons are personally contributing. The extension of the deadline is to help sort out the financial issues on the city's side of the bargain.
As for the baseball stadium, the Beaverton mayor reiterates his stance against eminent domain, and the land owner hopes that they find another site: http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2009/10/beavertons_mayor_repeats_city.html I hope they would just drop the Beavers altogether, as it would be better for soccer to have more exclusive attention from the media and the ownership. But the Paulsons are likely banking on the extra revenue from a new Beavers baseball stadium to help offset their personal contribution to the PGE Park renovations.
Paul Schmidt
07 Oct 2009, 12:22 PM
Real reason for the extension...
http://wweek.com/editorial/3548/13168/
Providence Medical would be something of a private contributor to the renovation with this addition.
j66j66
07 Oct 2009, 04:54 PM
Relevant! Relevant!
http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2009/10/07/preliminary-sketches-of-remodeled-pge-park/
westcoast ape
07 Oct 2009, 05:38 PM
Another complication: bikes may soon be prevented from travelling through River West cemetary:
http://portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=125434332392345900
Is this a joke? That cemetary is not near PGE park, and it is difficult to see that many bicyclists would ever consider a route that required them to pass through that cemetary.
AFAIK, it is mostly students commuting to and from Lewis & Clark College.