City Enlists Veterans Community to Envision a New Street-Level Home for the Coliseum Memorial Walls

The City of Portland has initiated plans to enhance the Veterans Memorials at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum by relocating the granite honor roll walls to the main entry plaza. This decision follows the recommendations of a project advisory group that met six times over four months. The relocation aims to significantly improve the memorials' visibility and accessibility. The report also outlines design considerations that focus on community interaction and acknowledgment of the Albina neighborhood's history. The city is now working on a timeline for the project's implementation, which is critical given the ongoing renovations at the Coliseum.

Since its opening in 1960, the VMC has been a hub for major events and a site of remembrance for veterans. The original honor roll panels, which pay tribute to Oregon’s war dead, have been in storage due to safety concerns. A digital memorial site was launched in 2022 as a temporary solution until the physical memorials can be reinstated.