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Originally Posted by JordanL
Can someone explain "corporate"? It seems to be a catchall phrase for "things I don't like doing".
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Plastic architecture, typically Post-Modern, that is typified by heavy usage of value-engineered "architectural details" like cornices and EIFS. See Bridgeport Village.
Formulaic architecture housing formulaic retail. Now, if they actually use a local architectural firm, then we'd likely get something at least a step above that in terms of quality, which is why I'm on the fence, yet hopeful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 65MAX
I don't understand the anti-corporate argument. Very few of the products we buy are made here in Oregon, but we still buy them from Home Depot or Target or Fred Meyer or Safeway. If an outside company thinks they can be successful here, they'll open shop and hire local people, lots of them. Then those wages help bolster the local economy. What's wrong with that?
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One word: Boring.
Why would I want to go to one place if its the same as everywhere else? Unless it has something unique, us spoiled urbanites will sniff our noses at it being uninteresting and thus not worth our time. I suppose its kind of like style. Whats hip, whats new...
/devil's advocate
Now I haven't spent much time lately thinking about the RQ, ever since finding out that the MC isn't going to be razed. Been kind of busy with real life, unfortunately. I do agree with the idea that the Rose Quarter should be unique. Like, in-your-face totally off the wall unique kind of place. Someone needs to sit down and do some brain storming...
Let's see, what do we have here?
Blazers
bland office buiding
some parking garages
Rose Quarter transit center
MAX up Interstate
Jazz roots
African American community (long gone)
close to downtown and Steel Bridge
THE RIVER!
Memorial Coliseum
plus its close to downtown, MLK, and Lloyd District
What should it be? The entertainment district? Sports area?
I don't know how successful an entertainment district will be, since we already have one downtown N/S of Burnside.. and those kinds of things usually build off of themselves, like a snowball (bear with me here). There isn't a whole lot to draw people into this district, unless you're going to plop in an entire district, like the Blazers could with Cordish. Then the question is one of target demographics and markets, how underserved they are in the metro area, etc.
I don't have access to that data and I doubt many on this site do.
Another thought, organically-developed mixed-use river entertainment areas have been previously planned/built in Portland, such as Riverplace, which occurred in stages with market-rate housing. It is well-connected to downtown, however. If the RQ was decently connected to the Esplanade, then perhaps it could build off of the energy of the river as a sort of destination. Or maybe a connection between the Steel Bridge ped crossing and NoPo (Van/Williams/MLK gateway). There is also the Centennial Mills project which used an actual public design competition to determine the best design and use for the site... so an appropriate developer was chosen by how appropriate their product was for Portland.
Nothing builds a destination like access. And if the only access is by freeway for suburbanites that can't find Portland except for a google maps directions printout, it's going to be very corporate. If it is designed to not trap people near the Rose Garden after a basketball game, but to connect to the neighborhoods of Portland (and the Lloyd District is a bit barren right now...) then it will have good bones to grow as part of the city.
I think Cordish did actually integrate the P/L district well into the city, but they had actual city blocks to work with. Not so in the RQ...
I think having some cultural attractions besides sports would help round out the district and draw people year-round. Like a jazz museum, with some jazzy and sports-themed restaurants or bars (McMenamins Blazers pub? I dunno). Rehab the MC and booking more events could help a LOT, as well, particularly if they brought more big concerts like The Killers, which will bring a lot of local Portlanders out of the woodwork.
If they dropped a better-than average 24-hour fitness facility (not necessarily THAT one) could also help draw people into it. Some office space, a small hotel, outdoor beer garden(s), cafes, bike rental shop, bookstore, and some boutique shops could make it a draw.
But I think a ped bridge over the RR tracks to a nice riverside development with residential would make a world of difference. Not necessary, perhaps, but could elevate the entire district (if done properly) into a world-class district.
Final thoughts: at the review for the Centennial Mills design competition, someone said that the overly ambitious G/E plan made sense for a future, bigger Portland in its scope. Highly sustainable, lots of activity, and so on. A little telling that we're set to basically get both #1 and #3 projects, I think. I'm a little skeptical if Portland can actually support all of these "entertainment districts" - I kind of think there isn't a high enough core central city population to keep all the wheels of commerce greased. Would hate to see some of downtown's energy sapped, although I don't think downtown would be the one to suffer...