Category Archives: land use

Support NECN, Donate!

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From the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods:

Dear Neighbors and Friends,

With your participation and support, we engaged thousands of neighbors to work together on opportunities to strengthen the inner Northeast Portland community. And, we even had a couple of fun social celebrations!

Serving as a community resource hub, the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization, supported community members and neighborhood associations as they weighed in on timely and critical issues including the Portland Plan, Urban Renewal Areas, the Education System, City Code, Cell WiMax Towers, Police Accountability, and more. We helped neighborhood-specific efforts too!
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Get King Selected for a Tree Inventory

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Walking around your neighborhood, do you see areas available for tree planting, street trees in need of maintenance, and neighbors who are concerned but don’t know where to begin? Urban Forestry is helping Portlanders take action to improve their community’s street trees by conducting tree inventories and creating Neighborhood Stewardship Plans.

Active community groups interested in the cause begin by gathering volunteers to help conduct a street tree inventory. Volunteers are guided by Urban Forestry staff, who provide training, tools, and event organization. Together, information is collected on tree species, size, health, site conditions, and available planting spaces. Data is analyzed by Urban Forestry staff, and findings are presented to neighborhood stakeholders. Achievable strategies are set by the collective body to improve existing trees, identify opportunities for an expanding tree canopy, and connect the neighborhood with city and non-profit resources. The result is a Neighborhood Stewardship Plan. The plan identifies the current status and health of neighborhood street trees and provides recommendations for neighborhood action. This final product serves as a catalyst for neighborhood implementation.

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Vanport Square III Proposal Forgoes Retail

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Rendering of the original plan for the "King Commercial Center"

Businesses in the Vanport Square development are concerned about plans under consideration to complete the project on the vacant block at Alberta and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. with an office and clinic instead of retail. Long envisioned as the cornerstone of the partly-built Vanport Square development, Phase 3 has suffered many delays. Originally intended to be anchored by a new grocery store or 24 Hour Fitness, the Portland Development Commission has struggled to attract a commitment to the project.

At one time, PDC tried to lure a call center to locate in Vanport as retailers shunned the site. Once again, PDC appears to be changing its plan for the project and looking to consider development even if it doesn’t result in retail-based neighborhood center that could bring life back to this stretch of King and survival to the isolated businesses already there.

According to KNA’s Alan Silver who attended the last PDC public meeting to mention the plan:

PDC has been approached by two development teams about Vanport phase 3. One proposal would include the Urban League, medical offices, and commercial; the other team includes Jeff Sackett (one of the developers of Vanport Square), and its proposal includes commercial real estate, including negotiations with an anchor tenant whose identity the team is “not disclosing publicly at this time.”

The PDC is ‘gathering information’ on these two proposals at present. It expects to have no funds available to aid developers of Vanport phase 3, who will have to rely entirely on private financing to complete construction.

Vanport Square, aka the King Commercial Center, is the keystone in the future of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in the King Neighborhood. Without the original long-term vision being realized, King’s center could be resigned to many years of low property values in a district that does not create a pedestrian friendly environment. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Vanport is caught in a “catch 22” situation where a lack of businesses fails to attact foot traffic. Lack of foot traffic fails to attract businesses. If a proposal is accepted that is not retail based at the street level, the long sought-after connection between the existing Vanport development and the Alberta corridor will not be fulfilled.

The Portland Development Commission has scheduled two informational meetings held December 21, 2010 for Vanport Project Advisory Committee (PAC) members and Vanport Square business owners. A morning meeting will be held to accommodate Vanport Square businesses and an evening meeting will be targeted to PAC members.

The purpose of the informational meetings is to outline the developer selection process and to clarify the role of the PAC in the selection process. As this meeting is scheduled only a few days after the developer’s submissions are due, PDC says they won’t be able to answer a lot of questions about the specific projects; however, they will schedule future meetings as their process develops.

New Housing Planned for Vacant MLK Frontage

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Ivy City Homes is the name of a new mixed-income housing development planned for Ivy Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. just south of King Neighborhood. It is to be one of the first projects nationally to earn the Earth Advantage Community certification for sustainability.

A public/private partnership with the Portland Development Commission, the project provides a provision for permanently affordable homeownership with a subcontractor base consisting of a high percentage of minority-owned, women-owned, and emerging small businesses. Permanent affordability of 30% of the units to families earning up to 80% of the median family income through a partnership with Proud Ground, a community land trust with deed covenants that restrict the resale prices of the permanently affordable units through future resales.

The homes are to achieve a LEED for Homes certification with energy-efficiency of 45% over current energy code and will have energy efficient appliances and secure bike parking. Construction on the 28 units of residential and live/work space is scheduled to be completed summer 2011. Of the 28 units available for sale, approximately nine will be affordable to families earning 60-80% of the median family income for the area.

http://aristondev.com/projects/ivy-city-homes

Alberta Main Street Community/Visioning Meetings

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From the Alberta Main Street Program:

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF ALBERTA STREET LOOK LIKE TO YOU?

Have a Say – Get Involved – Join Us
Monday, November 1, 2010 – 6:30 – 7:30PM @ The Alberta Rose Theatre:  Alberta Main Street Community Meeting.
Get an update about Alberta Main Street, learn about the Main Street Committees & the upcoming Community Visioning Session and ask questions about the program. No RSVP required. Everyone is welcome!
Monday, November 29, 2010 – 5 – 9 PM @ The Alberta Rose Theatre: Alberta Main Street Community Visioning Session. Diverse community-wide participation is critical to the success of the program. Please share with your friends & neighbors and let us know you are coming! Register online: http://www.albertastreetfair.com/mainstreet/community-visioning-session/ or call Sara @ (503) 683-3252.

WE NEED YOUR IDEAS, INSIGHTS AND IMAGINATION! THANK YOU TO THE ALBERTA ROSE THEATRE FOR OPENING YOUR DOORS TO THE COMMUNITY

ALBERTA ROSE THEATRE – 3000 NE ALBERTA STREET – PORTLAND, OR 97211
Alberta Main Street is a program of Portland Main Street and member of the National Main Street Network

Participate on a Main Street Committee:
The four Main Street committees include Organization, Promotion, Design and Economic Restructuring. Find out more about these committees online at:
http://www.albertastreetfair.com/main-street/four-point-approach/. You can also learn more about these opportunities at the November 1st Community Meeting.

Support Alberta Main Street:
Healthy commercial districts create opportunities for locally based businesses to succeed, for residents to shop and eat locally and for the preservation of historic structures and an increased tax base. Everybody wins; it will also take everyone’s support. Ranging from $20 – $5000, 101 residents, neighborhood associations, school groups, non-profit & faith-based organizations, business owners and commercial property owners have contributed to our community. Alberta Main Street needs your help too. If you haven’t already, please contribute today: http://www.albertastreetfair.com/main-street/contribute/
STAY UP TO DATE: Visit Alberta Main Street facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alberta-Main-Street/164339070242860 for the latest news and information about the program. A new website is currently under development.