Where on god's Earth do people get this consistent idea that Portland is anywhere near where Vancouver is in the process of a franchise? It's mind blowing!
Portland
- Merritt Paulson(owner) will pay for the expansion fee.
City is on the hook for everything else!
- Portland need to
renovate the current baseball stadium(PGE Park) into an SSS.(Of course it won't be, see below).
- The current baseball team, the Beavers, need to vacate and move into a whole new stadium paid for by who? The City.
- There is
no sound plan on how they will finance the two stadiums.
- PGE Park would possibly be funded through bonds to be paid for by ticket taxes and it
requires full faith and credit of the city to back those bonds.
- The City has given it's support but has not agreed to any finance plans.
-
PGE Park will also be shared with the University of Portland football team, where they also currently play. Paulson himself has admitted to this. So there goes the SSS out the window.
- PGE Park will also temporarily share with the Portland Beavers baseball team, like it currently does, until they locate to a new stadium.
-
Grass pitch? Not likely due to U of P football team sharing the place along with the temp baseball team.
- Paulson quotes on financing, "
the City must show its commitment to back a team. It's going to be tough. It's going to be a tight timeline."
- Portland's MLS expansion bid is due by 15 Oct. Vancouver's? Already done.
Vancouver
-
Expansion fee and new stadium plans completely financed through a wealthy private investment group. No public money is hinging on their plan like Portland.
- Vancouver already has a temporary stadium. BC Place will be finished with a $200-300m refurbishment with a retractable roof for the 2011 season. Portland's plan hinges on the public to pay for it's stadium.
- Vancouver's temporary stadium will be shared with a football(grid-iron) team, just like Portland and Seattle. The difference, Vancouver is only using their shared digs
temporarily.
Sorry about the extended explanation but it's gets a bit much when you hear how Portland has such an advantage over Vancouver or Montreal.