Controversial soccer, bridge plans face key votes

Billions of public dollars are at stake this week as committees make their recommendations

By Jim Redden

The Portland Tribune, Mar 2, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (21 Reader comments)

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Two controversial Portland-area projects face key votes this week: The plan to bring a Major League Soccer team to town and the proposed Columbia River Crossing bridge between Portland and Vancouver, Wash.

Although the votes will be held by advisory committees, their outcomes could help determine whether the projects go forward.

Portland Mayor Sam Adams says negative votes will not necessarily doom the projects, but could greatly complicate them.

“These are important votes, no doubt,” said Adams.

The question of spending public funds to bring professional soccer to Portland will be taken up by the Major League Soccer/Triple A Baseball Task Force on Tuesday afternoon.

The task force was formed by Adams and Commissioner Randy Leonard to review the financing plan being developed to bring an MLS team to Portland. The City Council is being asked to commit an estimated $85 million to renovate PGE Park for the team and build a new baseball stadium for the Portland Beavers.

“Commissioner Leonard and I appointed the task force to give us good, objective advice on whether the financing plan pencils out,” said Adams.

The task force is reviewing a plan being developed by Beavers owner Merritt Paulson and city finance officials. It involves Paulson paying $40 million of his own money to secure an MLS expansion team, and the city issuing revenue bonds backed by a ticket tax, urban renewal funds and others sources for the remodeling and construction work.

The council must approve the plan by mid-March for Paulson to apply for one of two expansion team franchises that will be awarded this summer. Adams said that at the least, the council must approve a framework agreement with Paulson that shows how the move can be accomplished.

Avoiding a repeat of PGE Park debacle

Many local soccer fans support bringing a professional team to Portland. Dozens of them packed the last task force meeting and rallied at City Hall on Sunday to urge the council to back Paulson’s application.

The plan is questioned by a number of financially conservative local bloggers, including Lewis & Clark law professor Jack Bogdanski, who operates the well-read bojack.org Web site. He and others argue the city cannot afford construction and renovations costs, especially with the economy in such bad shape.

The task force will meet Tuesday afternoon to consider a draft resolution that calls for the council to move forward with the agreement, provided that no city agency budgets be cut and Portland taxpayers be protected in case the city defaults on the bonds.

The draft resolution also notes that an additional $20 million to $40 million must be raised to pay for all the work, depending in part of the final cost of the new baseball stadium.

The task force plans to finalize the recommendation Tuesday and present it to the City Council on March 11.

Adams said that if the task force votes against the resolution on Tuesday, the council will take that very seriously.

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