Community Warehouse Open on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd

community warehouseCommunity Warehouse, a non-profit that collects and redistributes furniture and household items to people in need is moving to the former location of Hanna Bea’s at 3969 Martin Luther King Jr. and Shaver Street.

To ensure that our shelves stay stocked, businesses, families, schools, and other professional and social groups throughout the metro area host collection drives for the Community Warehouse for one week in 2009. We encourage you to consider helping local families in need by agreeing to gather items for the Warehouse.

During your week, you and your group will collect needed items. Community Warehouse helps coordinate these efforts, picking up items from a central donation drop-off point, providing guidance on items needed and flyers to publicize collection efforts. For more information or to adopt a week in 2009, contact Roz, our Community Connects volunteer, at (503) 329-5588 or e-mail roz755@aol.com

New Development for Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Planned

MLK-SkidmoreThe North-Northeast Economic Development Alliance (NNEDA) and the Portland Family of Funds (PFF) invite local community members and other inner NE Portland stakeholders to the OAME conference room to review the redevelopment concept plans for the former Lutheran services facility site located on NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and NE Skidmore.

PFF is an investment firm that has participated in a dozen projects in Portland, including four in NE Portland: Vanport Square, Kings Crossing, Oregon Medical Clinic, and the Community Transition School. PFF utilizes numerous financing programs, including the New Markets Tax Credit program, to facilitate the development of community-based projects in distressed communities.
MLK-Skidmore2
NNEDA and PFF would like to offer local residents and stakeholders an early opportunity to review and comment on the schematic design plans for developing an education- and family housing-based project on the former Lutheran site at the corner of NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and NE Skidmore. Come hear from the project team about their vision for the site, and provide your feedback on their design plans for implementing that vision.

This project is intended to create an attractive and exciting private development that focuses on building community capacity through the co-location and collaboration of education, family housing and community services within a single facility.

Please join us on the evening of September 23rd to hear more about the plans for this project and to share your thoughts and suggestions for the concept and plans.

OAME Large Conference Room
4134 N Vancouver Avenue
September 23, 2009
6:00 to 9:00 PM
Light refreshments will be provided

You can also view the schematic design plans for the project and comment on them at http://www.portlandfunds.com/projects/albina.php. Or bring your questions and comments to the meeting on September 23rd. If you would like additional information prior to the meeting, contact Carl Talton at 503-546-2650 or carl@portlandfunds.com. We hope you will join us.

Sheila Holden and Carl Talton

Streetcar System Planning for NE

King neighborhood residents are encouraged to weigh in on the Streetcar System Plan and specifically to advocate in favor of the “8S” MLK line that looks to be granted Tier 1 status in the plan. The public comment period ends this Friday.

The plan and comment form are here:
http://www.portlandonline.com/Transportation/index.cfm?c=46134

In terms of real-world results, Congressman Blumenauer has an earmark slated for the next Federal Transportation Bill that would fund an “alternatives analysis” for up to 3 of the highest ranking corridors in Portland. The document is at: http://kingneighborhood.org/Reference_Files/portlandstreetcar _planningandalternatives.pdf. In any event, if that funding were to come through, these corridors –which could include MLK– would likely see near-term streetcar planning and implementation.