Does that excuse or rather explain how this is being managed? In my satirical point of view, it seems to be an excuse to condone poor management; as if to be expected. Rightly, so, I suppose. I guess a concern I have, though I do not assume that all do, is they do not work to make these venues profitable enough, to keep them financially whole and retain earnings that would finance needed upgrades and retrofits (as the Keller sorely needs) for the benefit of the public who own them. Its too bad then, that in the act of the state owning and controlling this industry, that we expect them to do so poorly - because that's what is said socialism delivers. Well, then, does anyone want to sell this industry to private business - or oligarchs? Or at least have it be managed better by a private company? Those are alternatives that could be considered.
The same process infects the Utopian fantasy of public transportation in Portland. The ongoing operating expenses are meant to be paid by ridership in the form of fares. Except when ridership declines because of crime, Uber, etc. the operating expenses have to be cut. This doesn't even begin to address deferred maintenance for which there was never a plan. But, those empty streetcars sure look swell!
I find this series to be very helpful, not not casting blame but for understanding the consequences of great intentions that have lead us to the place we are today in Portland and the challenges in what has been dubbed the "Cultural District". As someone who has either worked in (Big Pink) or lived in downtown Portland for the last 35 years, I have a little perspective. Given downtown's challenges today, it would be useful for our City Council to have fresh perspective. Kurt and Allan are providing it in this series for the Cultural District. I'll add a little more in the vicinity. The Eliot Tower, luxury condo, now sits on the site of the former Safeway Store, affectionately known as Psycho Safeway. It was the old "quonset hut" design and served a scattering of low income housing projects. The back side of the Belluschi designed Portland Art Museum, the anchor for the Cultural District, sat across 10th Ave from it. Safeway now sits beneath the Museum Park Apartments across Jefferson from the Eliot Tower. All of this occured in the early 2000s, spurring the expansion of the Art Museum into the Mark Building. Both low income and market rate housing has been built in immediate proximity to the Cultural District, including the St James and St Francis apartments, the Jeffrey, Sky3 and the Ladd, bolstering affordable housing throughout the southwest corner of downtown, abbutting 405 and PSU. The Street car runs through it. Max is 3 blocks away. It is a highly accessible and diverse neighborhood, demographically and economically. It has some of downtown's most important attractions and historical buildings, including some remarkable legacy churches. The problem; not enough visitors. The reasons for this are many, and include both perceptions about and the reality of public safety concerns, especially in the late evening and night in downtown. Another concerns our failure to maintain and adapt existing entertainment venues to changing times and resources and Portland's attraction to "shiny new objects" rather to maintaining and adapting those it has first. I think we see those playing out in the story here, and I can't wait to get to the ending.
NW Examiner articles need to include the address of the things they are writing about.
Yah...but it's socialism!
Does that excuse or rather explain how this is being managed? In my satirical point of view, it seems to be an excuse to condone poor management; as if to be expected. Rightly, so, I suppose. I guess a concern I have, though I do not assume that all do, is they do not work to make these venues profitable enough, to keep them financially whole and retain earnings that would finance needed upgrades and retrofits (as the Keller sorely needs) for the benefit of the public who own them. Its too bad then, that in the act of the state owning and controlling this industry, that we expect them to do so poorly - because that's what is said socialism delivers. Well, then, does anyone want to sell this industry to private business - or oligarchs? Or at least have it be managed better by a private company? Those are alternatives that could be considered.
The same process infects the Utopian fantasy of public transportation in Portland. The ongoing operating expenses are meant to be paid by ridership in the form of fares. Except when ridership declines because of crime, Uber, etc. the operating expenses have to be cut. This doesn't even begin to address deferred maintenance for which there was never a plan. But, those empty streetcars sure look swell!
I find this series to be very helpful, not not casting blame but for understanding the consequences of great intentions that have lead us to the place we are today in Portland and the challenges in what has been dubbed the "Cultural District". As someone who has either worked in (Big Pink) or lived in downtown Portland for the last 35 years, I have a little perspective. Given downtown's challenges today, it would be useful for our City Council to have fresh perspective. Kurt and Allan are providing it in this series for the Cultural District. I'll add a little more in the vicinity. The Eliot Tower, luxury condo, now sits on the site of the former Safeway Store, affectionately known as Psycho Safeway. It was the old "quonset hut" design and served a scattering of low income housing projects. The back side of the Belluschi designed Portland Art Museum, the anchor for the Cultural District, sat across 10th Ave from it. Safeway now sits beneath the Museum Park Apartments across Jefferson from the Eliot Tower. All of this occured in the early 2000s, spurring the expansion of the Art Museum into the Mark Building. Both low income and market rate housing has been built in immediate proximity to the Cultural District, including the St James and St Francis apartments, the Jeffrey, Sky3 and the Ladd, bolstering affordable housing throughout the southwest corner of downtown, abbutting 405 and PSU. The Street car runs through it. Max is 3 blocks away. It is a highly accessible and diverse neighborhood, demographically and economically. It has some of downtown's most important attractions and historical buildings, including some remarkable legacy churches. The problem; not enough visitors. The reasons for this are many, and include both perceptions about and the reality of public safety concerns, especially in the late evening and night in downtown. Another concerns our failure to maintain and adapt existing entertainment venues to changing times and resources and Portland's attraction to "shiny new objects" rather to maintaining and adapting those it has first. I think we see those playing out in the story here, and I can't wait to get to the ending.