Rose Quarter
Encyclopedia
The Rose Quarter is a 30 acre (12 hectare) sports and entertainment district located in Portland's Lloyd District
on the east bank of the Willamette River
, just east of downtown. The Rose Quarter is bounded on the west by NE Interstate Avenue, on the north by NE Broadway and NE Weidler Streets, on the east by Interstate 5
, and on the south by NE Holliday Street. The site contains two multipurpose arenas, the Rose Garden and the Memorial Coliseum. Nearby landmarks include the Steel
and Broadway
bridges, the Oregon Convention Center
, and the Eastbank Esplanade
.
s, a large theatre, as well as a box office
, four parking garages, a 40,000 square foot (3700 square meters) convention facility, several restaurants and bars, and a large public space, the Rose Quarter Commons.
of the National Basketball Association
. The Rose Garden also hosts games of the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League
, and the Portland Lumberjax
of the National Lacrosse League
. It is also used for concerts, circuses, rodeos, ice shows, and conventions.
The Memorial Coliseum is a 12,888-set multipurpose arena located on the Rose Quarter campus. Built in 1960, it was the original home of the Portland Trail Blazers. Three NBA Finals
have been played within its walls, and twice the Larry O'Brien Trophy has been secured on its hardwood, once by the Trail Blazers in 1977, and once by the opposing Detroit Pistons
in 1990. It remained the Blazers home court until the team moved into the larger and more modern Rose Garden in 1995. The arena is still actively used for Portland Winterhawks hockey games. The arena is also used for concerts, circuses, rodeos, ice shows, and conventions, and hosted the 2007 Davis Cup
final between the United States and Russia. The Coliseum is commonly known as the "glass palace".
is located on the red
, blue
and green
lines, and is located south of the arena, in an underpass where the tracks cross under Interstate 5. A separate station, the Interstate/Rose Quarter
station, is located on the western side of the Rose Quarter campus and serves riders on the yellow line
. Both stations are in the Free Rail Zone. Tri-Met also operates several bus
lines which serve the arena.
The Rose Quarter offers over 2,600 parking spaces for Rose Quarter patrons on the premises. The spaces are distributed among four parking garages and two uncovered parking lots. In addition, arena management operates a pair of off-site parking lots with 1,700 additional spaces, located several blocks from the arena. Both off-site facilities are located on the MAX Light Rail line which provides free service to the Rose Quarter. Parking prices vary depending on the event, typically between US$6 and US$13 per vehicle. The parking garages are operated by City Center Parking. On-street parking near the arena is also available.
. (VSE) is a subsidiary of Vulcan Inc.
, a holding company owned by Paul Allen
which manages Allen's various sports-related properties. Tod Leiweke
is the current president of Vulcan Sports and Entertainment. VSE owns the Rose Garden and the underlying land; the City owns the remainder of the Rose Quarter premises.
VSE are responsible for managing all Rose Quarter properties. Management and operation of the Rose Quarter is contracted out to Global Spectrum, who is under contract to run the Garden until August 2008. Global Spectrum employs more than 75 full-time and 700 part-time employees at the Rose Garden.
Mike Scanlon is the current general manager of the Rose Quarter.
The Rose Quarter was created in 1993, when significant parts of the parking lot of the Memorial Coliseum were transferred to the Oregon Arena Corporation, an operating company owned by Paul Allen
, to facilitate construction of the Rose Garden Arena
. As part of the agreement, the Oregon Arena Corporation would be given the right to jointly manage both the new arena and the existing Coliseum, as well as other facilities and amenities on the grounds. The new arena would soon be christened the "Rose Garden", and the grounds of the Coliseum would be reborn as the Rose Quarter. The City of Portland hoped that the building of the arena would lead to other renovation or development in the Rose Quarter district, but as of 2007 this has yet to materialize. Several restaurants and bars operate on the Rose Quarter property.
Oregon Arena Corporation managed the entire Rose Quarter, including those portions still owned by the City, until it was dissolved in a 2004 bankruptcy
. The arena creditors took possession of the Rose Garden and the underlying land, together with the rights to manage other Rose Garden properties; and formed a new corporation, Portland Arena Management LLC ("PAM") to manage the property acquired in the bankruptcy proceedings. PAM soon hired Global Spectrum to operate the arena and the remainder of the Rose Quarter. In 2007, Allen repurchased the arena from the creditors, along with the Rose Quarter management rights; Global Spectrum was retained as the site operator. Global Spectrum is under contract to operate the Rose Quarter until 2008.
Lloyd District, Portland, Oregon
The Lloyd District is a primarily commercial neighborhood in the North and Northeast sections of Portland, Oregon. It is named after Ralph Lloyd , a California rancher, oilman, and real estate developer who moved to and started the development of the area.The Lloyd District is bounded by the...
on the east bank of the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
, just east of downtown. The Rose Quarter is bounded on the west by NE Interstate Avenue, on the north by NE Broadway and NE Weidler Streets, on the east by Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
, and on the south by NE Holliday Street. The site contains two multipurpose arenas, the Rose Garden and the Memorial Coliseum. Nearby landmarks include the Steel
Steel Bridge
The Steel Bridge is a through truss, double lift bridge across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States. Its lower deck carries railroad and bicycle/pedestrian traffic, while the upper deck carries road traffic and light rail , making the bridge one of the most multimodal in the world...
and Broadway
Broadway Bridge (Portland)
The Broadway Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, U.S. It was the first bascule bridge built in Portland and the longest in the world at the time of its completion. It is the longest Rall-type bascule bridge still in existence.-History and description:The...
bridges, the Oregon Convention Center
Oregon Convention Center
The Oregon Convention Center is a convention center in Portland, Oregon. Opened in 1990, it located on the east side of the Willamette River in the Lloyd District neighborhood. It is best known for the twin spire towers which provide light into the building's interior and for housing the world's...
, and the Eastbank Esplanade
Eastbank Esplanade
The Eastbank Esplanade is a pedestrian and bicycle path along the east shore of the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States...
.
Facilities
The Rose Quarter contains two multipurpose arenaArena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
s, a large theatre, as well as a box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
, four parking garages, a 40,000 square foot (3700 square meters) convention facility, several restaurants and bars, and a large public space, the Rose Quarter Commons.
Rose Garden
The Rose Garden is a 785,000 square feet (7.3 hectares), 19,980-seat multipurpose arena. The arena is divided into two major sections, an upper and lower bowl, separated by a level of luxury boxes. The arena opened in 1995, and is the current home of the Portland Trail BlazersPortland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. The Rose Garden also hosts games of the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
, and the Portland Lumberjax
Portland Lumberjax
The Portland LumberJax were a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League , which started playing in the 2006 season and ended operations after the 2009 season. Announced by the NLL on May 11, 2005, the LumberJax played their home games at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon...
of the National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
. It is also used for concerts, circuses, rodeos, ice shows, and conventions.
Memorial Coliseum
The Memorial Coliseum is a 12,888-set multipurpose arena located on the Rose Quarter campus. Built in 1960, it was the original home of the Portland Trail Blazers. Three NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
have been played within its walls, and twice the Larry O'Brien Trophy has been secured on its hardwood, once by the Trail Blazers in 1977, and once by the opposing Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
in 1990. It remained the Blazers home court until the team moved into the larger and more modern Rose Garden in 1995. The arena is still actively used for Portland Winterhawks hockey games. The arena is also used for concerts, circuses, rodeos, ice shows, and conventions, and hosted the 2007 Davis Cup
2007 Davis Cup
The 2007 Davis Cup was the 96th edition of the Davis Cup, the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. Sixteen teams participated in the World Group and 123 took part in different regional groups...
final between the United States and Russia. The Coliseum is commonly known as the "glass palace".
Transportation and parking
Two MAX Light Rail stations serve the Rose Quarter area. The Rose Quarter Transit CenterRose Quarter Transit Center (MAX station)
Rose Quarter Transit Center is a station in the MAX Light Rail system and a TriMet bus transit center, and is located in the Rose Quarter area of Portland, Oregon, a part of the Lloyd District. It is served by the Blue, Green and Red lines and is the 8th stop eastbound on the original MAX as well...
is located on the red
MAX Red Line
The MAX Red Line is a route in the Metropolitan Area Express light rail system in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. It is 25.5 miles long...
, blue
MAX Blue Line
The MAX Blue Line is a 33 mile light rail line in the MAX Light Rail system in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Operated by TriMet, the line runs between Hillsboro and Gresham, via downtown Portland...
and green
MAX Green Line
The MAX Green Line is a light rail route in the MAX Light Rail system in Portland, Oregon, United States, extending to Clackamas, Oregon. Construction began in early 2007, and the line opened on September 12, 2009. The average daily ridership in June 2010 was 19,500 increasing to 23,200 by April...
lines, and is located south of the arena, in an underpass where the tracks cross under Interstate 5. A separate station, the Interstate/Rose Quarter
Interstate/Rose Quarter (MAX station)
The Interstate/Rose Quarter station is a light rail station on the MAX Yellow Line in Portland, Oregon. It is the first stop northbound on the Interstate MAX extension...
station, is located on the western side of the Rose Quarter campus and serves riders on the yellow line
MAX Yellow Line
The MAX Yellow Line is a 5.8-mile route in the Metropolitan Area Express light rail system in Portland, Oregon. The route, which opened May 1, 2004, runs between Portland State University , in downtown Portland, and the Portland Expo Center...
. Both stations are in the Free Rail Zone. Tri-Met also operates several bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
lines which serve the arena.
The Rose Quarter offers over 2,600 parking spaces for Rose Quarter patrons on the premises. The spaces are distributed among four parking garages and two uncovered parking lots. In addition, arena management operates a pair of off-site parking lots with 1,700 additional spaces, located several blocks from the arena. Both off-site facilities are located on the MAX Light Rail line which provides free service to the Rose Quarter. Parking prices vary depending on the event, typically between US$6 and US$13 per vehicle. The parking garages are operated by City Center Parking. On-street parking near the arena is also available.
Ownership and management
The Rose Quarter is jointly owned by the Vulcan Sports and Entertainment (VSE) and the City of PortlandGovernment of Portland, Oregon
The Government of Portland, Oregon, a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, is based on a city commission government system. Elected officials include a Mayor, a City Council, and a City Auditor. The mayor and commissioners are responsible legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that...
. (VSE) is a subsidiary of Vulcan Inc.
Vulcan Inc.
Vulcan Inc. is an investment and project management company founded in 1986 by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, to manage his investments...
, a holding company owned by Paul Allen
Paul Allen
Paul Gardner Allen is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates...
which manages Allen's various sports-related properties. Tod Leiweke
Tod Leiweke
Tod Leiweke . Leiweke, who was raised in the small town of Lesterville, Missouri, is an American sports executive. He was hired on July 26, 2010 to become the Chief Executive Officer of Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment including the Tampa Bay Lightning and St. Pete Times Forum...
is the current president of Vulcan Sports and Entertainment. VSE owns the Rose Garden and the underlying land; the City owns the remainder of the Rose Quarter premises.
VSE are responsible for managing all Rose Quarter properties. Management and operation of the Rose Quarter is contracted out to Global Spectrum, who is under contract to run the Garden until August 2008. Global Spectrum employs more than 75 full-time and 700 part-time employees at the Rose Garden.
Mike Scanlon is the current general manager of the Rose Quarter.
History
Paul Allen
Paul Gardner Allen is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates...
, to facilitate construction of the Rose Garden Arena
Rose Garden Arena
Rose Garden, commonly known as the Rose Garden Arena, is the primary indoor sports arena in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is suitable for large indoor events of all sorts, including basketball, ice hockey, rodeos, circuses, conventions, ice shows, concerts, and dramatic productions...
. As part of the agreement, the Oregon Arena Corporation would be given the right to jointly manage both the new arena and the existing Coliseum, as well as other facilities and amenities on the grounds. The new arena would soon be christened the "Rose Garden", and the grounds of the Coliseum would be reborn as the Rose Quarter. The City of Portland hoped that the building of the arena would lead to other renovation or development in the Rose Quarter district, but as of 2007 this has yet to materialize. Several restaurants and bars operate on the Rose Quarter property.
Oregon Arena Corporation managed the entire Rose Quarter, including those portions still owned by the City, until it was dissolved in a 2004 bankruptcy
Rose Garden arena bankruptcy
The Rose Garden bankruptcy occurred in 2004 when the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon was the subject and primary asset in a bankruptcy filing, shifting ownership of the arena from billionaire Paul Allen to a consortium of creditors....
. The arena creditors took possession of the Rose Garden and the underlying land, together with the rights to manage other Rose Garden properties; and formed a new corporation, Portland Arena Management LLC ("PAM") to manage the property acquired in the bankruptcy proceedings. PAM soon hired Global Spectrum to operate the arena and the remainder of the Rose Quarter. In 2007, Allen repurchased the arena from the creditors, along with the Rose Quarter management rights; Global Spectrum was retained as the site operator. Global Spectrum is under contract to operate the Rose Quarter until 2008.