–Google Map here–
Last month we brought you the news that velodrome advocate Steve Brown was hoping to find a home for his vision inside the Memorial Coliseum.
According to sources, and to a story on KGW tonight by reporter Randy Neves, there is momentum for placing a velodrome — not inside the Coliseum — but on a vacant piece of land on the northwest corner of the Rose Quarter.
Brown met with Trail Blazer representative J. Isaac last week to discuss the velodrome idea. According to Brown, while Isaac thought the idea of putting the velodrome inside the Coliseum was “nice”, he also said it wasn’t really practical.
Instead, Isaac seems to like the idea of placing a velodrome on the northwest corner of the Rose Quarter, on a piece of land bordered by N. Interstate Ave and the eastern off-ramp of the Broadway Bridge.
Brown loves the idea (he was never attached to doing something inside the Coliseum, he just wants space anywhere in the Rose Quarter) and he’s already working with his architect to develop a concept drawing for the site. Brown is also working with noted velodrome builder Peter Junek on designs to fit a covered, 200 meter track into that location.
The City has made it clear that they want the new Rose Quarter to be a playground for Portlanders, and it seems like a velodrome with additional bike-related facilities fits nicely into that vision (not to mention its inclusion in the plans would create a groundswell of community support — something the politicians at City Hall are well aware of). We’ll try and track down more information about this vacant parcel tomorrow and see if this idea really has some legs.