What Amanda Fritz and Nick Fish Say About Major League Soccer Now

Well, the final two City Council voices are now in on this resolution (PDF) that proposes moving forward on negotiations to revamp PGE Park by 2011 for a Major League Soccer team separately from plans to find a new home to build a minor-league baseball stadium for the Portland Beavers.

Commissioner Amanda Fritz said this evening that she stands by her original objections to tapping urban renewal money for a soccer retrofit. Fritz also said she doesn't understand why the stadium could not be used for both baseball and MLS — a deal-killer in the league's eyes.

Commissioner Nick Fish says he doesn't know what he's going to do, though he described the resolution's de-coupling of soccer from siting a new baseball stadium as "long overdue." Fish reiterated that he voted against the original stadium deal, adding that "if a different proposal comes to council and it protects the general fund and Mr. Paulson ups his share substantially, I'd explore it."

Bottom line on what's going to happen — given that Leonard said Paulson's decision today to pull out of a Lents deal means he will vote against his own resolution while Mayor Sam Adams will support it as will Commissioner Dan Saltzman — who the hell knows?

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