PORTLAND, Ore. -- Memorial Coliseum's future comes down to three different ideas -or maybe a combination of them all.
One idea comes from the Trail Blazers and Winterhawks teams.
But there are two other ideas in the final running.
The first of those concepts is called the Memorial Athletic Recreation Center.
It would preserve the Coliseum's exterior and revamp the inside with two levels of sporting activities such as competition swimming, bike racing, pro ice hockey, as well as basketball, soccer and track.
"The key to enlivening the Rose Quarter and making the Coliseum an even better facility is to add activity to it," said MARC mastermind Doug Obletz.
Another idea called the Veterans Memorial Arts and Athletic Center combines athletics with amateur arts while making significant cosmetic changes to the exterior.
"We feel that ours is kind of a compromise between all three schemes in the sense that we're kind of the best of both worlds," said Matthew Miller, co-designer and spokesperson for the VMAAC proposal.
His group's idea and the MARC proposal are competing with the Blazers' desire to make modest improvements to the Coliseum while aggressively developing around it.
Their concept is called "Jumptown."
"This should be active right now," said trail Blazers VP J Isaac, pointing to the dormant space between The Rose Garden and the Coliseum. "There should be people shopping and eating at restaurants and going to coffee shops."
Mayor Sam Adams sees merit in all three ideas.
"I am going to make a run at everyone working together. They don't have to but I'm going to make a run at that. We'll see how successful I am."
Those behind the MARC proposal are concerned the deck is stacked in the Blazers' favor because team owner Paul Allen holds long-term operating rights to the Coliseum.
The mayor promises the best idea or ideas will win. He says the Blazers don't hold all the cards because Allen's development rights to the Rose Quarter expire in November.
"You have got to be flexible, Blazers, on the future of Memorial Coliseum or you don't get the development rights to the rest of the district," Adams said.
