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News article
The City of Portland and Rip City Management (RCM) are moving forward with the most significant renovation of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum (VMC) since its opening. This work will ensure that this beloved space continues to serve generations of Portlanders and other visitors.
Published
Serving approximately 400,000 people a year at around 100 events annually prior to closing for renovations, the Veterans Memorial Coliseum (VMC) first opened in 1960. It served as the region’s primary large arena until 1995 when the Rose Garden (now Moda Center) opened, and has hosted iconic guests and events, including the Beatles, three NBA Finals, and the Rose Festival Queen’s coronation.
Since then, the VMC has faced ongoing renovation needs and growing operational challenges, culminating in a proposal to demolish the building in 2009. Following community advocacy and conversation, the VMC was listed on the National Register of Historic Places later that year, and the Portland City Council passed a resolution in 2011 recommending that the space be renovated.
The renovations will be completed in two phases between 2024 and 2026 and are funded by City bonds on which all debt service is paid for by dedicated tourism resources from the Visitor Facilities Trust Account. The Visitor Facilities Trust Account is a partnership between the City, Metro and Multnomah County and receives a portion of local transient lodging taxes and vehicle rental taxes to support debt service on bonds associated with capital improvement to important travel and tourism infrastructure.
“This renovation represents a long history of successful public-private partnership with Rip City Management at the VMC, and we are excited to share these up-to-date and modern amenities that families and fans will appreciate for generations to come,” said Karl Lisle, the City’s Spectator Venues and Visitor Activities Program Manager. “From Winterhawks games to Disney on Ice and more, we know the VMC has always meant fun for the whole family, and these renovations will continue that legacy.”
As construction continues, City leadership and RCM toured the space alongside the general contractor team, Howard S. Wright/Balfour Beatty Construction, to check out the ongoing and upcoming renovations.
“I am happy to have joined the Veterans Memorial Coliseum hardhat tour. The Winterhawks fan experience at the Glass Palace will be so much more comfortable with new seats, restrooms, and ADA accessibility,” said Councilor Dan Ryan, whose Council District includes the VMC. “While attending the sneak peek, I met many tradespeople who build Portland with family-wage jobs, including welders and electricians. I look forward to seeing how these renovations support economic activity in this area, including as fans visit local shopping, dining, and hotels once it fully reopens.”
The VMC tour kicked off with a visit through the bowl to admire the installation of new seating, including semi-private, group seating areas that will offer inclusive food and beverage service. Prior seating had been in the VMC since its opening and was well past its service life. As part of the renovation, the space will be treated to fresh paint and updated section numbers. Alongside these updates, new handrails and accessible seating areas will ensure visitors of varying abilities can enjoy all that the VMC has to offer. These improvements are part of the City’s ongoing efforts to ensure our venues meet modern accessibility standards and mitigate barriers to accessibility.
One key aspect of this renovation is modernizing and expanding access to restrooms by adding additional facilities, including dramatically increasing the number of women’s fixtures and adding single user restrooms for those needing additional privacy. Another is improvements to the venue’s rigging system, which supports key technology like lighting equipment, screens, stage curtains and more. In the back-of-house area of the venue, athletes, performers, and guests can enjoy upgrades being made to the VMC’s “Star Rooms,” dressing rooms, and locker rooms.
In addition to these key internal renovations, new code-required emergency exit stairs have been constructed down the slope to N. Interstate Avenue. Staff also had the opportunity to view new electrical enhancements at the building, replacing and upgrading this critical infrastructure, most of which had been in the VMC since its opening in 1960. These improvements will greatly improve the safety of the building in the event of an emergency.
There are more changes to come at the VMC, including fire control systems and signage replacement. New artwork, to be unveiled this winter, will tell the story of the VMC, including the impact that the VMC’s original construction had on the historic Albina neighborhood, destroying homes and displacing hundreds of families—largely Black families—through eminent domain practices.
“Our collaboration on the renovation of Veterans Memorial Coliseum highlights the strength of true partnership and effective teamwork between Rip City Management and the City,” said Sarah Mastroieni, Director of Capital Projects & Planning for Rip City Management. “It’s a project that demonstrates what we can achieve when we work together.”
What's Next?
Changes may also be coming soon to the Veterans Memorials at the VMC. This Spring, the City’s Project Advisory Group for the Veterans Memorials finalized their report recommending key elements and design considerations for relocating the Memorials to the street level plaza in front of the VMC. Learn more about that work and the group’s recommendations.
Fans can look forward to a soft opening of the VMC reopening this October as construction begins to wrap up. The public will be invited to a Grand Reopening event later this fall/winter. The City and RCM are excited to welcome the community back to the space—please stay tuned for information on that reopening and how you can celebrate with us!