Category Archives: Economic Development

Neighborhood Economic Development Roundtable

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Neighborhood Economic Development Roundtable
Monday, September 13, 2010
8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Portland State University | Smith Memorial Ballroom | 1825 SW Broadway

Folleto disponible en español

Help shape neighborhood economic development in Portland!

How can PDC and the community be more effective at neighborhood economic development?

Join national and local experts, city decision-makers, and other community leaders for a day of learning, interaction, and dialogue
Your input is vital to develop a guiding strategy to:
• Expand economic opportunity and grow jobs
• Create community/public/private partnerships
• Develop new resources for neighborhoods
• Build capacity for local organizations
• Implement community action projects

Space is limited.

Register today to contribute your expertise and vision.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

For more information, visit us online at www.pdc.us/cedroadmap
or call 503.823.2384

Event is free. Lunch will be provided. Translation and childcare available upon advanced request.

Green Features Grant for Interstate Corridor URA

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Portland Development Commission Green Features Grant Program

An open house to introduce the Portland Development Commission’s (PDC) Green Features Grant Program is scheduled for June 3, 2010 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Shaver Green Community Room located at 375 NE Shaver St.

PDC is seeking proposals from businesses in the Interstate Urban Renewal Area (map at: http://pdc.us/pdf/ura/interstate_ura.pdf) that are interested in implementing creative sustainable business practices and “green” building features. Grants are available for up to $25,000 for eligible businesses for property redevelopment, historical rehabilitation and applying creative means of implementing sustainable property improvements. Funding is through tax increment financing, and therefore is limited to real property improvements.

This grant is intended to generate interest in sustainable design and practice in Portland’s neighborhoods. The grant is being targeted to small, emerging businesses that typically may not think about sustainable options or have the ability to cover the incremental costs associated with emerging technologies. The grant seeks both need based applicants looking to cover the incremental costs associated with sustainable building and those desiring to adopt more sustainable practices.

A total of $200,000 is available for fiscal year 2009 – 2010. Grants will be dispersed on a reimbursement basis. Reimbursements will occur after agreement between PDC and applicant as to work to be performed and verification.

Green Features Program Goals

The Green Features Grant is intended to encourage neighborhood-based business and small to medium-sized wholesalers and manufactures to implement creative sustainable business practices and green building features. Program goals are to encourage small to medium-size businesses to:

Think innovatively and strategically how sustainable features can be included in their business model; Introduce sustainable features to demonstrate cost-savings or reduce environmental impact; Demonstrate the potential of sustainable features to increase productivity; Integrate conservation and efficiency into business operations; Contribute to Portland’s environmental, economic and social goals.

Preference will be given to those projects that, in addition to meeting the eligibility requirements:

Have a high likelihood of implementation Demonstrable energy savings or resource conservation Use local or recycled products Increase neighborhood livability Can demonstrate increased productivity Show cost-savings Have a measurable environmental impact Leverage private resources Have high-visibility Lead to job creation or retention

For more information contact Stephen Green, Project Manager Portland Development Commission at (503) 823-3231 or GreenS@pdc.us

Joleen Jensen-Classen
Public Participation Manager
Portland Development Commission
222 NW Fifth Ave.
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 823-3352 desk
(503) 823-8057 cell
jensen-classenj@pdc.us

Follow on Twitter: @PDCJoleen

http://www.pdc.us/pdf/ura/interstate/greenfeatures/Green-Features-For-Business-Guidelines.pdf

PDC to Modifiy N/NE Urban Renewal Areas

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Press release from PDC:

CAC approves changes in two URAs
In August 2009 the Portland Development Commission asked a Community Advisory Committee to examine several key issues in two north and northeast Portland urban renewal areas as part of the North/Northeast Economic Development Initiative. After months of public involvement, the 21-member CAC voted at its Wednesday, May 19 community meeting to approve eight separate recommendations regarding policy issues and boundary adjustments for the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area (ICURA) and Oregon Convention Center Urban Renewal Area (OCC URA).

“The approval of all eight recommendations really speaks to the collaborative process we used throughout this project,” said John Jackley, PDC’s Director of Communications and Business Equity. “We brought together the traditionally underrepresented communities, representatives from neighborhood associations, higher education, businesses and the unions to support a common vision of more jobs and more resources for residents and small businesses in north and northeast Portland.”
The adopted recommendations included policy issues dealing with prioritization of investment in the two URAs, the establishment of a Community Benefits Agreement for the Rose Quarter development, recommendations for the Portland Housing Bureau and five URA boundary adjustment recommendations.

The boundary changes include expanding the ICURA to include 75 acres along NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, 103 acres in the St. Johns Town Center, 33 acres of the Alberta/Killingsworth node, 28 acres along the south side of Lombard Street and 186 acres currently in the OCC URA along Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
For more information on this process and to review next steps visit: http://pdc.us/four/nnestudy

PDC Urban Renewal Meeting

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The Oregon Convention Center Urban Renewal Advisory Committee will meet at the King Facility next week for their quarterly meeting. The OCC URAC, how’s that for an acronym, is resposible for advising PDC on their efforts to rejuvenate the Convention Center area, most of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and part of Alberta Street. Visit PDC’s website for more info: http://www.pdc.us/ura/occ.asp

Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 4 – 6 PM
Contact: Joleen Jensen-Classen, 503-823-3352
Location: King Facility 4815 NE 15th Avenue

State of Black Oregon Event Schedule

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Urban LeagueThe Urban League of Portland’s State of Black Oregon was published in 2009 for the first time in 17 years. It confirmed that social and economic disparities and systemic disadvantage still exist for African Americans and other people of color.

The State of Black Oregon offers a plan of action. JOIN US. Hear the facts. Be part of the solution. You are invited to attend any or all of the events below as we shape a bold policy agenda to address the disparities highlighted in the report.

Marcus C. Mundy
Urban League of Portland

Join us if you can at the following events:

State of Black Oregon presentation to Multnomah County Board of Commissioners
Thursday, November 12, 9am
501 SE Hawthorne Blvd
Portland, OR 97214

Panel: Marcus Mundy, Urban League, Sheila Holden, Interstate Urban Renewal, Tricia Tillman, Office of Multicultural Health, Carolyn Leonard, Portland Public Schools

State of Black Oregon Town Hall Meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009
5:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Portland Community College,
Cascade Campus
Terrell Hall, Room 122
705 N. Killingsworth. Portland, OR

State of Black Oregon Symposium
Thursday, December 3, 9am
Smith Memorial Student Union
Portland State University
1825 SW Broadway, Portland, OR

Sunshine Dixon
Urban League of Portland
Community Organizer
10 N Russell St.
Portland, OR 97227
503-280-2618
sdixon@ulpdx.org
www.ulpdx.org
Please connect to the Urban League of Portland Group on Linkedin

Save the date! Join the Urban League of Portland on November 12, 2009 for their Equal Opportunity Day Awards Dinner.
Click here for information regarding advertising, sponsorship and tickets.