Greg Leiher's blog

Gay Straight Alliances of the Portland Metro area held their annual Night of Noise in City Hall's south atrium on April 18, 2007, hosted by Commissioner Adams. .... The event lived up to its name, with a high-octane rock band and an impromptu, but supervised, mosh pit ramping up the decibel level.

        Wednesday night April 18th Commissioner Sam ramped up the decibel level at City Hall when he hosted the Metro area Gay Straight Alliances for their Night of Noise in the south atrium. ... And the event lived up to its name! .... Fueled by the spirited "Monster-Sized Monsters," the assembled youth reached a high-octane level shortly after Sam's welcome and maintained its energy for the rest of the evening. "Hurrah Hurrah" added to the momentum with intermittent (but supervised) mosh pit action. ....  

Commissioner Adams kicked off the Sneak Peek of the emerging Q Center on Thursday, September 15 at Bluehour by reminding those attending of its need and inviting them to invest in the new venture. "When I was a gay teenager in high school in Newport, I was alone and lonely. There certainly wasn't anything like this around. Today, there are a lot of teenagers around Oregon for whom 'Will and Grace' and 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' just don't do it. This center goes a long way towards filling that need." In addition, "gays and lesbians are increasingly approaching retirement age, and very few centers are geared to their specific health and aging issues."

Two years ago, the conversation about a LGBTQ center started again in earnest, thanks largely to Sam's activism. Seed money was used for an independent feasibility study to determine need, community interest, projected use and financial and volunteer support. The study showed positive results on all these points, 90% of respondents called for a center with some kind of physical base. The need was to move ahead with an interim board and business plan. At Pride NW '05, the commitment was made that a Q Center would be open and running by June 2006, in time for Pride '06.

Highlighted at the meeting was new leadership on the board, including: David Martinez; Aaron Hall and Tim Healea. A power point recap of progress and financial goals was led by Gwenn Baldwin and Susan Remmers, interim director. Emphasis would be on family programming, health and HIV resources, youth and seniors' programs. Aaron Hall reviewed preliminary architect's drawings.

Susan Remmers issued the call for investors at the Founder level of $25,000 or more, as well as the opportunity to make a property donation. Early investors were also solicited with a commitment to consider additional investment in early 2006. Hosts for small parties were encouraged.

Remmers also outlined the goals for the next stage - complete the board development, finalize a business plan with a three-year buildout, implement 12 small events before the end of this year and raise the $250,000 needed to open the doors next June.

Stay tuned for more signs of this emerging Q Center as events come on line and it reaches out for donors and sponsors. .......You may have some ideas or volunteer hours to devote. ....More information at www.pdxQcenter.org.

Commissioner Adams has continued to be involved in the effort to develop a Headquarter Hotel adjacent to the Oregon Convention Center. After reviewing the available data, Sam thinks that a minimum 400-room hotel would best meet current market conditions and require considerably less public subsidy than a larger hotel. The Portland Development Commission's original request for proposals had called for a 600 to 800 room hotel, but Sam feels that the additional rooms could be added in another phase as market conditions dictate. Please read further in his letter to the PDC and the City Commissioners:

April 29, 2005

TO:  Portland Development Commission
  Headquarters Hotel Selection Committee

FROM: Sam Adams

COPY:  Portland City Commission

RE:  My Concerns About Headquarters Hotel RFP Process

The purpose of this memorandum is to share with you my concerns about the selection process currently underway to choose a potential developer for a headquarters hotel near the Oregon Convention Center.

I have a decade-long familiarity with the details of the headquarters hotel issue as the chief-of-staff to former Portland Mayor Vera Katz, and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Portland, Oregon Visitors Association. 

I have been briefed by PDC staff on the selection process currently underway.  Last week, I attended the open house and had an opportunity to review the schematics and meet representatives of the development teams who have responded to the request for proposals from PDC.

As you know, the lodging industry is emphatic in their position that the headquarter hotel be built to allow for a convention group block of 500 rooms with no more than 400 net new rooms being added to the city’s inventory.  This could be achieved through new construction as well as redevelopment of existing inventory.  After reviewing the available data, I agree with the visitor industry’s position on this issue.  At the same time, my colleagues and I on the City Commission seek to limit the amount of public subsidy required for a headquarters hotel. 

My concern is that the selection process currently underway calls for interested developers to respond with proposals to create a hotel with 600 to 800 rooms.  It did not ask for potential respondents to the requests for proposals to include a smaller hotel option. 

I have also been told by hotel investors that if PDC was to release a request for proposals for a 400 room hotel that they would be interested in bidding on it and that the required subsidy would be significantly less than that required for a hotel sized at 600 to 800 rooms.

Please consider asking the existing respondents to the RFP to provide the selection committee with a downsized option that would allow for a 500 room block but no more than 400 net new rooms being added to the marketplace. 

Thank you in advance for considering my concerns.

With warm regards,

Sam Adams