Memorial Coliseum

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Portland Memorial Coliseum

The Memorial Coliseum is an indoor arena, the oldest part of what is now known as the Rose Quarter area within Portland, Oregon. It was completed in 1960 after its construction was financed by an $8 million bond approved by voters in 1954. It was dedicated on January 8, 1961 to the "advancement of cultural opportunities for the community and to the memory of our veterans of all wars who made the supreme sacrifice." The facility is 100 ft (30 m) tall and has a footprint of about 3.1 acres (13,000 m²).

It was the home of the Portland Buckaroos of the Western Hockey League. It was the venue for the 1965 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, the site of the second of ten such championships won by UCLA in the 1960s and 1970s.

When the Portland Trail Blazers franchise was awarded for 1970, it became their home court, capable of seating nearly 13,000 when configured for basketball. Three NBA championship series have been (partially) played in the Coliseum; in 1977 (when the Trail Blazers won) and in 1990 and 1992 (in which years the Blazers were defeated). Soon after the 1992 championship series, construction began on the nearby Rose Garden Arena, which became the team's home arena when it opened in 1995.

The Portland Power of the ABL played there from 1996-1998. The building is currently the home arena of the Portland Winter Hawks (Western Hockey League) and holds some Winter Hawks games, as well as other events such as conventions, touring shows and high school graduations. It was the host of the March 2005 Big Sky Conference Basketball Tournament. The Memorial Coliseum also hosted the OSAA 4A Men's State Basketball Tournament in March 1966-2003.

In 2004, Portland, Oregon was selected as one of 5 cities in the U.S. to host the Dew Action Sports Tour, a new extreme sports francise to start in 2005. Titled the Vans Invitational, the event was held at the Rose Quarter from August 17-21. The Memorial Coliseum hosted BMX: Park, BMX: Vert, Skateboard: Park, and Skateboard: Vert.The Dew Action Sports will return to Portland for year 2.

Its future public use is under study by the city of Portland: it may become part of a proposed "Memorial Athletic and Recreation Complex", though other options have not be ruled out.

External links and sources

[Memorial Coliseum Reuse Study], a City of Portland website
[Memorial Coliseum in a Fight for its Life], from the website of Historic Preservation Northwest
[Portland's crown jewel or a clunker?], a March 2004 article from the Portland Tribune
[Alternatives abound for coliseum's future], a July 2003 article from the Portland Tribune
[Urban Home Center recommended for Memorial Coliseum redevelopment], a May 2003 article from the Portland edition of the Daily Journal of Commerce

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Current arenas in the Western Hockey League
Eastern Conference		Western Conference
Art Hauser Centre \| Brandt Centre \| Centennial Civic Centre \| Cranbrook Recreational Complex \| Credit Union Centre \| ENMAX Centre \| ENMAX Centrium \| Keystone Centre \| Medicine Hat Arena \| Moose Jaw Civic Centre \| Pengrowth Saddledome		CN Centre \| Everett Events Center \| Interior Savings Centre \| KeyArena \| Memorial Coliseum \| Pacific Coliseum \| Prospera Centre \| Prospera Place \| Rose Garden Arena \| Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena \| Toyota Center