Talks continue on controversial hotel project

Costs, economy challenge regional leaders

By Jim Redden

The Portland Tribune, Dec 8, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (6 Reader comments)

Potential developers of the financially challenged Oregon Convention Center headquarters hotel have offered to extend the deadline for a final decision on the project.

The Metro Council is scheduled to vote on whether to proceed with the $200 million-plus project on Dec. 18.

But during a Monday morning meeting at Portland’s City Hall, representatives of the development team said they were willing to wait to see whether Metro regional government, the City of Portland and other governments in the region could work out a financing plan.

“I’m not willing to give up on this project yet,” said Portland Mayor-elect Sam Adams, who supports the proposed hotel and attended the meeting. Adams takes office next month.

Other participants at the meeting included Metro President David Bragdon and Metro Councilors Rod Park and Rex Burkholder.

Representing the developers were Scott Langley of the local Ashforth Pacific Development company and Steve Moffett of the Texas-based Garfield Traub development company, who flew in from Dallas to attend the meeting.

Representatives of Portland’s tourism industry also attended the meeting.

The parties agreed to meet again at a yet-to-be determined time on Friday to continue the discussions.

Metro is studying the idea of building and owning the hotel, which would be built across the street from the Oregon Convention Center on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, to increase business at the convention center.

Metro owns and operates the convention center. The meeting was called because a draft Metro staff analysis indicated the hotel would not pay for itself, according to Park, who is Metro’s liaison to the project.

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