02:51 PM PST on Thursday, February 16, 2006

By KRISTINA BRENNEMAN, kgw.com Staff

Thanks but no thanks is what Portland Mayor Tom Potter's office is expected to say to hosting the 2008 Republican National Convention.

Oregon Convention Center in foreground. (Photo from POVA)

Portland is one of 31 cities the Republican National Committee invited to host its 2008 convention.

The RNC sent out its invite to Mayor Potter Monday, asking for an outline of specifications for hosting the convention and a request for preliminary information that would help the RNC Selection Committee in its evaluation of each city.

The mayor's spokesman John Doussard said the Portland Oregon Visitors Association believes the city would not be eligible because the Oregon Convention Center -- despite its recent expansion -- does not meet the GOP's minimum requirements.

"No, we're probably not going to move forward on this," he said. "Our convention facility, and in many ways our city is too small for what they want."

The RNC is requiring at least 22,000 hotel rooms and suites, and a convention facility capable of seating 20,500 people with convention floor space big enough for 5,500 delegates and alternates, according to a news release on the Republican National Committee's Web site. RNC spokesman Aaron McLear said the requirements are "pretty strict."

"Portland is looking at this and seeing if they meet the requirement," he said.

Brian McCartin, POVA's executive vice president of sales and marketing, said in order to come up with the 1 million square feet of space needed they'd have to use the Rose Garden and convention center. Like the mayor's office, he's skeptical if the city can make it work.

"It would be the largest convention we've ever had in Portland," he said. "I know we've clearly we've done a lot to establish ourselves as a meeting destination. We're not an Orlando or Chicago, but we're a good second tier city."

Doussard said if they don't move forward on the GOP bid, the rejection has been bipartisan. The Democratic Party also invited the city to bid for its 2008 convention, but "when they sent us the requirements we didn't even come close," he said.

Besides Portland, the cities approached by the Republican Committee were: Anaheim, Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Memphis, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis and Tampa.

“We are excited to begin the process of selecting a city to host our 2008 convention,” said RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman.

The dates for the convention will be decided in the next several weeks, the committee said.

New York City hosted the 2006 Republican Convention; Boston hosted the 2006 Democratic Convention.

The RNC Site Selection Committee plans to hold individual meetings in Washington, D.C. with city representatives to talk about convention criteria, logistics and the site selection process.

A list of finalists will be determined in summer 2006. A final selection will be made Feb. 1, 2007.