Delta Dome

Last updated
Delta Dome (unbuilt)
Delta Dome, 1964.png
Location Delta Park,
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Capacity 46,000 (expandable to 80,000)
Surface artificial
Construction
Broke ground1964 (designed)
Builtnever built
Opened1968 (planned)
Construction cost $25 million (estimate)

Delta Dome was a proposed indoor sports venue in Portland, Oregon. Plans for the domed stadium were proposed in 1963. It would have had at least 46,000 seats with plexi-glass skylights and a 17,000 vehicle parking lot. Inspiration for the building's architecture came from the Harris County Domed Stadium (now known as the NRG Astrodome) in Houston, Texas, which was under construction at the time.

Contents

Delta Dome was to be built in Delta Park, the location of Vanport City, a housing project for workers during World War II that was destroyed in a 1948 flood, after a Columbia River dike failed.

The enclosed stadium was intended to attract a major professional sports franchise and increase the city's odds if they were to bid to host an Olympic Games.

Plans for the Delta Dome were scrapped after voters rejected two bond measures in 1964 to fund the construction. [1] [2] Delta Dome had the support of Governor Mark Hatfield and Portland Mayor Terry Schrunk. When the city purchased Multnomah Stadium, now known as Providence Park, the push for a new municipally owned multi-sports facility ended.

History

Designers of the Delta Dome borrowed ideas used at Harris County Domed Stadium in Houston, Texas which was being built at the time. Astrodome interior 2004.jpg
Designers of the Delta Dome borrowed ideas used at Harris County Domed Stadium in Houston, Texas which was being built at the time.

The idea for a stadium at Delta Park in Portland, Oregon, was started by a development group in the summer of 1963. They looked at building a domed stadium, similar to the Harris County Domed Stadium in Houston, Texas, which was under construction at the time. [3] Plans for the Delta Dome called for a 46,000 seat capacity that could be expanded to 80,000, or possibly 100,000. Also included were plans for a 17,000 vehicle parking lot. [4] Architects said the ceiling of the dome would be made from plexi-glass, which would add natural light. The skylights, which could be opened, were intended to add an open-air feel to the building. It was scheduled to be completed by 1968. [5] It was estimated to cost US$25 million (US$206.1 million adjusted for inflation). [6]

Measure 2 was on the ballot during Portland's primary election in 1964, which if approved, would fund the construction of the Delta Dome. The measure was rejected by voters, with 101,324 no votes to 91,961 yes. [7] The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners denied the proposed bond in July 1964. [8] The Portland City Council followed suit by rejecting supporters request (by a 4–1 vote) to put it up for a second city-wide vote during a council meeting on August 5, 1964. [9] In August, Governor Mark Hatfield convinced Multnomah County Commissioner David Eccles to change his vote in favor of placing the bond on the general election ballot. [10] In the county-wide contest, it was defeated with 102,281 people voting in its favor and 113,832 voting against. [1] [2] [11]

In March 1965, a bill was introduced into the state legislature to fund the Delta Dome by imposing a three percent tax on hotels and other forms of lodgings to out-of-state residents. [12] However in November 1965, the City of Portland purchased Multnomah Stadium from the Multnomah Athletic Club, putting to rest the city's need for a multi-sports facility. [13]

Opposition

The bond measures ultimately failed, due in part to voters not believing Portland could attract or sustain a major sports franchise. The Oregonian noted that the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which opened five years before, was hemorrhaging money without a permanent tenant. [14] Another issue raised was the traffic on Interstate 5, which opponents said would get worse if the stadium was erected. Opposition also grew around potential tax increases. Worries of flood damage was another concern, since it was in the area that flooded two decades prior. [15]

Supporters

The group funding advertisements in favor of the bond measure were known as "Volunteers for Delta Dome". Robert Richett was their chairman. [16]

One of the biggest attractions of the stadium was that it was enclosed, so games would not have to be canceled due to inclement weather. A scale model of the stadium was unveiled in October 1964 where supporters sang a song entitled "New Delta Stadium, Where it Never Rains". [17]

Supporters of the stadium claimed that building a second stadium in Portland would make bids on behalf of the city to the International Olympic Committee to host an Olympic Games more feasible. [18] A consulting firm conducted a study which predicted a $800,000 profit for the tax base. Opponents of the bond criticized the study because it assumed Portland would attract several large events when the stadium opened, which they contended should not be assumed. [19]

Shortly before the county voted on the bond measure, pro-Delta Dome leaflets were mistakenly included with material that attacked President Lyndon Johnson's re-election campaign. [20]

After it was voted down in November 1964, [1] [2] there was speculation that the Delta Dome would form a corporation and issue stock for citizens to buy, but the idea never materialized. [21]

Quotes

Delta Dome will be the largest covered stadium in the world, Oregon's big landmark of distinction like the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Space Needle. Delta Dome will be our international symbol of progress, a year-round, weatherproof, family fun center servicing three million people a year.

— Volunteers for Delta Dome, The Oregonian, 25 April 1964 [4]

The Delta Dome covered stadium is the best investment ever offered [sic] any community [...] We would bring thousands of tourists just to see such a stadium, and thousands more from nearby states to see events.

— Robert D. Holmes, The Oregonian, 27 October 1964 [16]

Do not be fooled by the last minute snowstorm of propaganda. Delta Dome is an extravagant gamble which will cause higher taxes for thirty years.

— Citizens Against Delta Dome, The Oregonian, 30 October 1964 [24]

I have no doubt that an NFL franchise would have been a [big] hit in Portland if the 1964 'Delta Dome' $25 million bond measure had not narrowly failed. The Delta Dome was a 45,000-seat baseball-football complex proposed in an era when the NFL and MLB were expanding. Now, we would need a publicly funded stadium. We would need an owner. We would need an opportunity from the league. A pipe dream, basically. And if it never happens, it's a shame.

—  John Canzano, The Oregonian, 28 January 2012 [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

Multnomah County, Oregon County in Oregon

Multnomah County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 United States Census, the county's population was 735,334. Its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city. Multnomah County is part of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, and though smallest in area, it is the state's most populous county.

Ballot Measure 5 was a landmark piece of direct legislation in the U.S. state of Oregon in 1990. Measure 5, an amendment to the Oregon Constitution, established limits on Oregon's property taxes on real estate.

Providence Park Sports stadium in Portland, Oregon, United States

Providence Park is an outdoor soccer venue in the northwest United States, located in the Goose Hollow neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. It has existed in rudimentary form since 1893, and as a complete stadium since 1926. Providence Park is currently the oldest soccer-specific stadium in use in MLS and is one of the most historic grounds used by any United States professional soccer team.

Metro (Oregon regional government)

Metro is the regional government for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area, covering portions of Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties. It is the only directly elected regional government and metropolitan planning organization in the United States. Metro is responsible for managing the Portland region's solid waste system, coordinating the growth of the cities in the region, managing a regional parks and natural areas system, and overseeing the Oregon Zoo, Oregon Convention Center, Portland's Centers for the Arts, and the Portland Expo Center. It also administers the Regional Illegal Dumping Patrol or RID Patrol which is tasked with cleaning up illegal dumping and it is the designated point of contact for citizens to report illegal dumping in the Portland metro area.

Oregon Historical Society History organization

The Oregon Historical Society(OHS) is an organization that encourages and promotes the study and understanding of the history of the Oregon Country, within the broader context of U.S. history. Incorporated in 1898, the Society collects, preserves, and makes available materials of historical character and interest, and collaborates with other groups and individuals with similar aims. The society operates the Oregon History Center that includes the Oregon Historical Society Museum in downtown Portland.

John Canzano American sports journalist

John Canzano is an American sports columnist, radio talk show host on Portland's 750 AM "The Game". The show is also syndicated in Eugene. and Klamath Falls, Oregon. He is also the lead sports columnist at The Oregonian and a sports commentator on KGW-TV, Portland's NBC affiliate. He hosts a daily radio show called The Bald-Faced Truth.

Portland Public Schools (Oregon) School district in Portland, Oregon, United States

Portland Public Schools (PPS) is a public school district located in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is the largest school district in the state of Oregon. It is a PK–12 district with an enrollment of more than 49,000 students. It comprises more than 100 locations, including 79 schools and other sites that are maintained within the district.

David Douglas School District No. 40 is a school district in eastern Portland, Oregon, United States. Its administrative offices are at 11300 NE Halsey St. Portland, OR 97220.

Randall Edwards is an American politician who most recently served as the state treasurer of the state of Oregon. A Democrat, Edwards was elected as treasurer in 2000, and reelected in 2004, after serving two terms in the Oregon Legislative Assembly. He served as a manager and senior advisor at the state treasury from 1992–1996, and was an International Trade Analyst for the U.S. Commerce Department.

Government 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 the mayor, commissioners, and a city auditor. The mayor and commissioners are responsible for legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that oversee the day-to-day operation of the city. Portland began using a commission form of government in 1913 following a public vote on May 3 of that year. Each elected official serves a four-year term, without term limits. Each city council member is elected at-large.

Jules Bailey American politician

Jules Bailey is an American politician who served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2009 to 2014, representing inner Southeast and Northeast Portland. Bailey also served on the County Commission for Multnomah County, Oregon from June 2014 to December 2016. In 2016, Bailey ran for mayor of Portland in 2016, losing to Ted Wheeler. In January 2017, he began working for the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative as the chief stewardship officer.

Portland Beavers Ballpark was a description of a new stadium in Portland, Oregon, or in an outlying city that was being planned for the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League of Minor League Baseball. The ballpark idea was abandoned in October 2010, with no location ever determined for it; several locations were rejected due to public criticism.

Gambling in Oregon

Gambling in Oregon relates to the laws, regulations, and authorized forms of gambling.

Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD) is a special parks district located in the eastern part of Washington County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Created in 1955, the district covers all of the city of Beaverton and many of those communities surrounding Beaverton in the Portland metropolitan area. The district covers an area of 50 square miles (130 km2) and serves a population of about 220,000, making it the largest parks district in Oregon. Tualatin Hills operates over 200 facilities totaling 2,100 acres (850 ha), including eight swimming centers. The district has an annual budget of $40 million and is overseen by a five-person board of directors.

Multnomah Greyhound Park

Multnomah Greyhound Park is a former dog track located in Wood Village, Oregon, part of the Portland metropolitan area. The park opened in 1957 and closed in 2004. After standing empty and disused for almost 12 years, the buildings at the site were demolished in summer 2016.

Blue Bus lines

The "Blue Bus" lines was a group of four affiliated privately owned public transportation companies that provided bus transit service in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area in the 1950s and 1960s. The name was unofficial but was in common use in the 1960s, and variations included "Blue Bus lines", "Blue Lines", "blue bus" lines and "blue buses". The Blue Bus companies provided service only between Portland and suburbs outside the city, or within such suburbs, as transit service within the city of Portland was the exclusive franchise of the Portland Traction Company or, after 1956, the Rose City Transit Company (RCT). The "blue buses" were prohibited from making stops inside the city except to pick up passengers destined for points outside RCT's service area. The "blue" name was a reference to the paint scheme worn by most buses of the consortium. By contrast, city transit operator Rose City's buses wore a primarily red paint scheme.

Hollywood Library Library building in Portland, Oregon

The Hollywood Library is a branch of the Multnomah County Library (MCL), in the Hollywood District of Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. The building, at N.E. 40th Avenue and Tillamook Street, opened in 2002, and has three residential stories above the library. The previous building, constructed in 1959 at N.E. 39th Avenue and Hancock Street, was expected to be sold in 2003 to a private party, for its appraised price of $675,000. The branch offers the MCL catalog of two million books, periodicals and other materials.

Jeff Cogen

Jeffrey Scott Cogen is an American businessman, lawyer, and former politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. Since 2016, he has been Executive Director of Impact NW, a social service and anti-poverty organization headquartered in Portland, Oregon. He served as chairman of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners from 2010 to 2013. Multnomah County is Oregon's most populous county, with approximately 742,000 residents. The cities of Portland, Fairview, Gresham, Maywood Park, Troutdale and Wood Village are all located within Multnomah County.

Deborah Kafoury is a politician in the U.S. state of Oregon.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Portland's (stadium) voted down again". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). AP, UPI reports. November 4, 1964. p. 1C.
  2. 1 2 3 "New stadium is rejected in Portland". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 6, 1964. p. 12.
  3. ↑ "Butter-dish stadium". The Sunday Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. 14 June 1963. p. 43.
  4. 1 2 "Let's put Portland on the map internationally". The Oregonian. 25 April 1964. p. 21.
  5. ↑ "Dome for Delta Park". The Oregonian. 26 February 1964. p. 22.
  6. ↑ Pratt, Garry (19 May 1964). "Making the dollar; Delta Dome booster views county voting". The Oregonian. p. 31.
  7. ↑ "Northside dooms project". The Oregonian. 17 May 1964. p. 1.
  8. ↑ "Not dead yet?". The Oregonian. 18 June 1964. p. 35.
  9. ↑ "Deepfreeze for dome". The Oregonian. 6 August 1964. p. 29.
  10. ↑ "Second chance for Delta Dome". The Oregonian. 28 August 1964. p. 33.
  11. ↑ "Dome backers saddened but note idea gaining". The Oregonian. 5 November 1964. p. 1.
  12. ↑ "Bill proposes tourist tax". The Oregonian. 3 March 1965. p. 7.
  13. ↑ "Possible Multnomah Stadium sale sparks purchase questions among city council". The Oregonian. 7 November 1965. p. 38.
  14. ↑ Pratt, Grant (2 November 1964). "Delta Dome backer remains optimistic". The Oregonian. p. 25.
  15. ↑ "Delta Dome; Once beaten proposal back on community ballot". The Oregonian. 25 October 1964. p. 83.
  16. 1 2 3 "Delta covered stadium is for all of us ... and you!". The Oregonian. 27 October 1964. p. 13.
  17. ↑ Fair, Don (9 October 1964). "Dome offers varied menu". The Oregonian. p. 61.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Delta Dome covered stadium now!". The Oregonian. 1 November 1964. p. 40.
  19. ↑ "$800,000 profit at Delta Dome predicted is first seven years". The Oregonian. 21 March 1964. p. 8.
  20. ↑ "Head of publishing company offers regrets over distribution of anti-Johnson tabloid". The Oregonian. 30 October 1964. p. 20.
  21. ↑ "Dome stock sale urged". The Sunday Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. 27 December 1964. p. 66.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Delta Dome covered stadium". The Oregonian. 11 May 1964. p. 14.
  23. 1 2 "2 groups ok Delta Dome". The Oregonian. 31 October 1964. p. 10.
  24. ↑ "No (x) Delta Dome". The Oregonian. 30 October 1964. p. 28.
  25. ↑ Canzano, John (28 January 2012). "Canzano: If Portland could catch a break, it could support the NFL". OregonLive.com. Portland, Oregon: The Oregonian. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.