Battle over federal building entering its final rounds The soap opera that is the 511 building is taking another turn and may finally be approaching its closing act.

Big names in Portland real estate and culture turned out for the latest show at the Portland Development Commission meeting Wednesday.

On one side, the Pacific Northwest College of Art made a hardball play to get its hands on the federal building at 511 N.W. Broadway next door to the North Park blocks. On the other, the Portland Public Market wanted an equal shot at the same building.

The intrigue comes with the names on opposite sides of the battle.

Developer Al Solheim is chairman at the art college, and Jim Winkler -- a developer and arts backer -- testified, too. The art college hired the Gallatin Group, one of Portland's hotshot lobbying groups. Greg Peden, former lobbyist at the Portland Business Alliance, is doing the advising.

On the other side, Ron Paul, a onetime aide to former city Commissioner Charlie Hales, is the public market's champion. And Paul has downtown landlord Melvin Mark in his camp. And Melvin Mark brings with them the longtime public relations consultant Karen Whitman, another arts supporter.

It was an old-fashioned Portland heavyweight battle.

When they competed at the PDC, both sides were on equal footing. But the college last week kicked its bid directly to the feds. And in the world of surplus federal property, the art college gets the upper hand because the feds give priority to educational causes.

Dan Petrusich, president at Melvin Mark Development Co., says he'll keep searching for a new home for the public market.

But it looks like it will be somewhere other than the 511 building.