The announcement that Portland would be the site of an ice hippodrome came in October 1913, which declared the rink would be open by December on Northwest Marshall street and between 20th and 21st avenues.

The plan was to run the rink year-round with the exception of summer months where it could be rented out to automobile dealers.

[4][5] An article published in the September 27, 1914, edition of the Morning Oregonian announced that the hippodrome would open by December of that year and it would be the largest building of its kind in the world.

After a few years of plans for renovations, the University removed the seats from the arena, but the Portland Fire Marshal announced in 1956 he would not allow the building to open unless the old wiring were replaced.

[8][9] In 1958 the arena was sold to Robert Coates and Associates for $152,000, who immediately announced bids to demolish the structure and replace it with a $750,000 shopping center, which was never built.