Category Archives: Economic Development

Is PDC on Track with Neighborhood Economic Development?

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The DRAFT Neighborhood Economic Development (NED) Action Plan is now available for review. Comments are due March 30, 2011 and may be submitted to Kate Deane, Community Economic Development Manager at the Portland Development Commission at: deanek@pdc.us or by filling out the form included in the electronic document and mailing it to Kate Deane, PDC, 222 NW Fifth Avenue, Portland, OR, 97213.

As a neighborhood resident, small business owner, or if you are interested in helping to revitalize Portland’s commercial corridors, this is your opportunity to review the Draft Action Plan and provide comments. Your input is vital as the City of Portland works to create public-private partnerships, develop new resources for neighborhoods, and build capacity for local organizations.

More information about the NED Action Plan project can be found at: http://www.pdc.us/bus_serv/ned.asp.

Community Budget Forum on March 8

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Join us for the rescheduled Community Budget Forum on March 8

Share your budget priorities with Mayor Adams, Commissioners, and City staff. Attend the rescheduled Community Budget Forum at David Douglas High School, 1001 SE 135th St., on Tuesday, March 8, 2011. A community resource fair begins at 6:00 p.m., and the Forum runs from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
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Portland Plan Fair March 10th

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Portlanders have an opportunity to shape the City’s strategies for the future at the upcoming Portland Plan Fairs.

The Portland Plan Fairs will offer residents a range of experiences and opportunities to learn about and comment on three integrated strategies and an Equity Initiative. In addition to breakout discussions for each one, the fairs will feature local food, music, booths, presentations, and community exhibitors. Childcare will be provided at all locations.

The Portland Plan is a long-range plan for the city’s future, ensuring that Portland is a thriving and sustainable city, with health and opportunity for all. Portlanders say that equity, living wage jobs, student success and a healthy environment are their top concerns. In response to this community input, the Portland Plan combines these priorities with extensive research and national best practices to develop an overarching Equity Initiative and three draft strategies for Portland’s future:

1. Education
2. Economic Prosperity and Affordability
3. Healthy Connected Neighborhoods

The Portland Plan Fair–North

Thursday, March 10, 6:30 – 9 p.m.
De La Salle North Catholic High School
7528 N Fenwick Avenue
TriMet #4, #6, #75; MAX Yellow
En Espanol, tambien!

Community public engagement is especially critical at this point in the Portland Plan process. After the fairs and follow-up outreach efforts, the draft strategies will be revised based on input from the community, Portland Plan partners and national experts. These revised strategies will be the core of the City’s strategic plan, which will be available for comment and review this summer and will be presented to the Planning and Sustainability Commission this fall.

About the Portland Plan

The Portland Plan will be a 25-year strategic plan for the City, and the direction it sets will touch every neighborhood, district and resident of Portland as it grows. The plan will help to define priorities, guide investment of public dollars and set the course for Portland for the next quarter of a century. For more information or to fill out a survey please go to: www.pdxplan.com

NECN Opposes Rose Quarter’s Inclusion in ICURA

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Reflecting the dissatisfaction many North and Northeast residents feel with the incomplete urban renewal that has resulted from the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area, the NECN Board of Directors has taken the position that the inclusion of the Rose Quarter district in the URA would siphon off remaining funds to projects that would have little benefit to N/NE residents.

“The NECN Board feels strongly that Rose Quarter projects, which are large and discontinuous with the North/Northeast community, will pull resources away from more community-based projects within the ICURA boundaries. For the first ten years of ICURA, the majority of the funding went to two large projects, the Interstate Light Rail project and the New Columbia project. Now that there is additional funding available, it should be spent on neighborhood level projects that benefit existing North and Northeast residents.”

Read the full letter here: NECN Position on ICURA-RoseQuarterJan 2011

Vanport Housing Project to Go Forward

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In February of 2010, PDC staff received a proposal from Lisac Brothers Construction, Inc. to develop ten single-family, market-rate homes on the Vanport Phase II site. In June of this year, PDC’s Investment Committee gave staff authorization to begin negotiations with Lisac Brothers Construction, Inc. for the disposition and development of the Vanport Phase II housing project.

The development team of Lisac Brothers Construction, Inc. will retain the Vanport Partners as consultants, with their involvement in the project ending at the start of construction. Once securing control of the land, Lisac Brothers Construction, Inc. would begin the site subdivision process which is estimated to take nine months. While the site subdivision is moving forward, Lisac Brothers Construction, Inc. would simultaneously pursue design and permitting. Lisac Brothers Construction, Inc. estimates construction could begin 12 to 18 months after execution of a development agreement with PDC and completion of all housing units 12 to 36 months after start of construction.

Lisac Brothers Construction, Inc. is a small builder/developer that developed affordable, market-rate, in-fill projects in Portland. Irving Park Townhouses on NE 7th is one example. Lisac Brothers Construction, Inc. is confident that it can obtain construction financing for the proposed project and has submitted a letter of interest from Lewis & Clark Bank to support this.

The development team is proposing to build ten (10) detached, market-rate homes averaging 1,300 sf on separate lots. The homes would be three levels, with the ground level primarily devoted to a garage that would be accessed from the rear through the Vanport Phase I parking lot or in the case of the end units, NE Emerson and NE Sumner. The sales price per unit is estimated to be between $245,000 and $265,000.

PDC Report: Vanport Housing