In February 2023, Metro Council and the Metropolitan Exposition and Recreation Commission unanimously supported two main objectives proposed by Metro’s chief operating officer as a result of phase 1:
- Metro will recognize Expo Center’s Hall A as a site of national historical significance and meaningfully memorialize the site’s history of forced displacement during World War II and the Vanport Floods, as well as the site’s pre-colonial history and importance to Indigenous Peoples.
- Leveraging Oregon’s status as an international powerhouse in the sport and outdoor industry, Metro will pivot Expo’s future redevelopment as a community-centric destination venue that prioritizes amateur, professional, and recreational sports.
This moved the project into phase 2. In this phase, the project team determines if these objectives are achievable and sustainable.
Three external governance committees have been created to address the two objectives identified in February 2023 and will make recommendations to Metro Council and the Metropolitan Exposition Recreation Commission in December 2024. They are called the Historical Significance and Memorialization committee, the Sport and Facility committee and the Executive Advisory committee.
Members consist of people from communities impacted by the Portland Expo Center such as the Black, Urban Indigenous, and Japanese-American communities. Business and elected leaders are included as well. They meet routinely to determine how best to memorialize Expo’s history, create a vibrant sports campus and build a financially sustainable community asset for generations to come.
The Historical Significance and Memorialization Committee is working with Start Consulting to lead a community engagement process to identify what significant memorialization might look like at Expo. Expo’s redevelopment will impact the community at large as well as current show producers and visitors to Expo, so Metro wants to ensure that each group has an opportunity to be heard. Their work is expected to run from May through August 2024.
The Sport and Facility Committee is currently working with real estate consultants Hunden Partners to study the feasibility of shifting Expo Center to primarily sports-oriented uses. Their study includes a market analysis, identifying specific sport types and uses, cost and economic benefit projections, and suggested funding mechanisms. A complete analysis will be delivered to Metro in Spring of 2024.
At the conclusion of this information gathering, Metro Council and the Metropolitan Exposition Recreation Committee will decide on next steps, ending phase 2. In the meantime, the project sponsor, Paul Slyman, holds monthly office hours online for community feedback and questions.