Tag Archives: PDC

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

Five Coliseum Concepts Presented Tonight at PDC

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Five of the teams that submitted concepts for the redevelopment of the Memorial Coliseum have been invited by the Rose Quarter Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) to present their project visions at the Tuesday, Feb. 23 SAC meeting. That meeting is scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and will be held at the Portland Development Commission, 222 NW 5th Avenue.

Each team will be given approximately 10 minutes to present their plan for the redevelopment or adaptive reuse of the Memorial Coliseum. Following the fifth presentation, the SAC will lead a 30 minute question and answer session with team representatives. Two additional teams that submitted full concepts have been invited to participate in the question and answer session.

“Through the online submission process, online evaluations, presentations and Q&A session, the SAC has received a considerable amount of information on the proposals,” said Mayor Sam Adams, SAC chair. “Following the presentations, I expect that the Committee will be able to make a well informed recommendation as to which teams will be asked to progress to the next stage of this process.” The SAC will make a recommendation to Portland City Council in March. Council will then request full proposals from the selected teams.

The five teams presenting Tuesday night are: Community Crossroads; Memorial Athletic & Recreation Center (MARC); Portland Action Sports Complex; the Trailblazers and Winterhawks Concept; and Veterans Memorial Arts and Athletic Center (VMAAC). The two teams that have been invited to participate in the question and answer session are OregonXperience and Jewel in a Box.

To review each of the concept summaries and for more information on the Memorial Coliseum process, please visit: www.rosequarterdevelopment.org

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

N/NE Economic Development Initiative Videos Online

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwepUaH3ZaI&feature=related]The Portland Development Commission’s North/Northeast Economic Development Initiative, which is intended to make urban renewal in these areas benefit the residents and businesses already here, has posted videos of its input gathering efforts.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHEwnPKI08s]

The initiative has its own Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pdxNNEDI