PDC Projects & Activities in North/Northeast PortlandBefore deliberating on future investments in North andN th t P tl d it i h l f l t i h t hNortheast Portland, it is helpful to review what hasbeen accomplished with urban renewal funding todate. This report provides an overview of majoraccomplishments in N/NE Portland realized throughthe joint efforts of PDC and the N/NE community.

Accomplishments are organized into seven topic areas:Redevelopment, Economic Development, AffordableHousing Transportation Parks and Open Space andHousing, Transportation, Parks and Open Space, andCommunity and Historic Facilities. Particular emphasisis placed on PDC work in the Interstate Corridor UrbanRenewal Area (ICURA) and Oregon Convention CenterUrban Renewal Area (OCCURA). These two districts,where tax‐increment financing (TIF) is available, arePDC’s primary tools for increasing opportunities andquality of life in N/NE Portland.

A Rich History. These pages do not provide nearly enough room to tell the entire story of North/Northeast Portland. At the very least, it is important to recognize several key milestones in the rich, diverse , and challenging history of N/NE Portland.

1872. The original Albina town site is platted, centered on the corner of Williams Avenue and Russell Street. Neighborhoods and commercial enterprises spread northward, attracting populations from the Midwest and East Coast, as well as German, Russian, Polish and Scandinavian immigrants

The report begins with a brief history followed by somebasic facts about the two urban renewal areas.

Polish and Scandinavian immigrants.

1887. The City of Albina is incorporated. Four years later, Albina is annexed into the City of Portland. Streetcar lines fan out into N/NE neighborhoods, initiating a 40‐year construction boom resulting in thousands of new homes and commercial buildings.  

1942. The Oregon Shipbuilding Company (Kaiser Shipyards) opens two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Kaiser builds the nation’s largest wartime housing project, the City of Vanport, near present‐day Portland International Raceway. Many African‐Americans are attracted to Vanport to work at the yards. In 1948, a massive flood destroys Vanport – forcing its residents to relocate to other North and Northeast Portland neighborhoods. 

1959. Veterans Memorial Coliseum opens in the Lower Albina area. A highly successful venue attracting international entertainment and sporting events, it also displaces a significant number of homes and businesses.

1964. The Minnesota Freeway (Interstate 5) opens, cutting a north‐south swath through North Portland. While improving regional mobility considerably, the freeway takes the place of hundreds of homes, and drastically reduces business activity on InterstateAvenue, Union Avenue (now Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard), and other N/NE commercial corridors.

1973. An urban renewal project demolishes the original Albina commercial district at Williams and Russell – once a hub of the African‐American community. Intended as an expansion of Emanuel Hospital, the development loses federal funding and is never built.

1989. The Oregon Convention Center Urban Renewal Area is formed to capitalize on the investment of the Convention Center, and to revitalize the Lloyd District and inner Northeast Portland. The OCCURA Fourth Amendment extends the district northward along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in 1993.  

1990. The City of Portland adopts the Albina Community Plan. It is the first planning document to comprehensively address the unique challenges and opportunities of N/NE Portland. Among its recommendations are the provision of light rail transit to NorthPortland and the extension of the OCCURA along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

PORTLAND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ● N/NE Economic Development Initiative ● August 19, 2009

2000.  The Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area is established during a time of change. Growth in Portland’s regional economy brings much needed investment to N/NE Portland, but with the challenges of gentrification and displacement.

Compiled with help from the History of the Albina Plan Area, Portland State University, 1990.

Fast FactsN/NE

Size:

3 769 acres

Size:

593 acres

Start date:

Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area (ICURA)

Oregon Convention Center Urban Renewal Area 

(OCCURA)

3,769 acres

Start date:

2000

End date:

2021

Start date:

1989

MLK/Alberta amendment:

1993

End date:

2013Maximum indebtedness:

$335 million

Indebtedness used:

$85 million

Indebtedness remaining:

2013

Maximum indebtedness:

$167 million

Indebtedness used:

$106 million

$250 millionTotal Projected Borrowing ‐ 2014$80 million

Indebtedness remaining:

$61 millionTotal Project Borrowing ‐ 2013 

$33 million

Th Will tt I d t i l U b R l A (WIURA) i ti ll l t d i N th P tl d F d i 2004 it i iThe Willamette Industrial Urban Renewal Area (WIURA) is partially located in North Portland. Formed in 2004, its primary purpose isto help expand and attract industrial employment to Portland’s existing industrial areas along the Willamette River. Planning in theWIURA is handled by PDC’s Business & Industry Team, under the guidance of the 2004Willamette Industrial Urban Renewal Plan.

PORTLAND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ● N/NE Economic Development Initiative ● August 19, 20092

RedevelopmentRedeveloping vacant property and revitalizing neighborhoods are top‐level goals in both the ICURA and OCCURA. Neighborhoodcommercial corridors in particular have been the focus of PDC’s investments places like Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard Alberta

N/NEcommercial corridors in particular have been the focus of PDC s investments – places like Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, AlbertaStreet, Vancouver and Williams Avenues, Killingsworth Street, Denver Avenue, Mississippi Avenue and Russell Street. In the ICURA,Interstate Avenue has been the primary target for investment, with the MAX Yellow Line serving as a spine of high‐qualitytransportation to help leverage reinvestment.

PDC has worked in many different ways to promote redevelopment in N/NE Portland, from disbursing development feasibility grants toserving as the lead developer of multi‐million dollar projects. PDC has partnered with hundreds of property owners, business owners,non‐profits and government agencies to bring redevelopment concepts to fruition in N/NE. Particular programs include the following:

• Development Opportunity Services (DOS). This is an 80% matching grant that helps those with vested property interests research thefeasibility of redevelopment. By helping to hire architects, market analysts and other consultants, the DOS grant provides potentialdevelopers a picture of what it will take to arrive at a finished project. Since 1995, PDC has awarded 130 DOS grants in the ICURA, 91DOS grants in the OCCURA, for a total of nearly $2 million in pre‐development assistance. More than half of the grants have led to on‐the‐ground results, from mixed‐use condo and apartment buildings to destination retail shops.

• Commercial Property Redevelopment Loan. PDC has provided low‐interest loans as supplemental financing for commercial andmixed‐use redevelopment projects in appropriate areas. Typically budgeted between $400,000 and $1.5 million per year in each of thetwo URAs, this loan program has spurred investment on sites where traditional lenders may not have been as generous.

• Public‐Private Development Partnerships. PDC has been directly involved in the development of retail, office, affordable housing andmixed‐use redevelopment projects. PDC facilitates redevelopment in a variety of ways, including land acquisition and disposition,provision of infrastructure such as streets and sidewalks, and secondary financing.

• Redevelopment Planning. PDC creates revitalization framework plans and occasionally works with the Bureau of Planning andSustainability to adjust zoning and design regulations to better facilitate high‐quality redevelopment. The 2000 King NeighborhoodCommercial Center Plan, 2005 Downtown Kenton Redevelopment Plan and 2008 North Interstate Corridor Plan are key examples.

PDC’s DOS program helped lay the groundwork for numerous private redevelopment projects in the ICURA, including (from left) TheOverlook Condos on Interstate Avenue, Kenton Commons Apartments in Kenton, and retail shops at 3808 N Williams Avenue.

PDC has led several high‐profile commercial redevelopment projects in the OCCURA, including (from left) Vanport Square, Henry V andan expansion of the Oregon Convention Center.

PORTLAND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ● N/NE Economic Development Initiative ● August 19, 2009 3

Economic DevelopmentAs Portland’s economic development agency, it is PDC’s responsibility to maintain and attract jobs – from growing small, local

N/NEp g y, p y j g g ,

businesses to attracting high profile firms that do international business. In N/NE Portland, the emphasis has been on assisting smallbusinesses to make physical improvements to buildings so they can grow their enterprises and improve the local economy.

PDC’s Business Finance program is an assortment of loans and grants that helps businesses with securing working capital, equipmentpurchase, real estate acquisition, tenant improvements and property development or rehabilitation. The program has helped hundredsof companies expand or locate in N/NE Portland, with 88 finance packages in the ICURA and 58 in the OCCURA since 1995. Additionalloans have been available to businesses outside the URAs using City general fund money. The program requires private lending toleverage PDC’s investments, and some require that clients create or retain jobs and pay competitive wages and benefits. In the entiretyof N/NE Portland – from Kelley Point to NE 181st Avenue – PDC has loaned $35 million to businesses, leveraged $200 million in privateinvestment, and helped to create or retain 5,300 jobs since 1995.

PDC’s Storefront program has been wildly successful in N/NE’s commercial districts. The program offers up to $20,000 in funds forrenovating commercial building exteriors and signs. The program, now in its 20th year, offers a matching contribution – originally 50%,but recently reduced to 25%. Since 1995, 214 projects received storefront funding in ICURA, 158 in OCCURA and 80 projects outsideurban renewal areas in St. Johns, University Park, Woodlawn and along Alberta Street. Non‐URA grants have been paid from the City’sgeneral fund as well as through federal Community Development Block Grants as one‐time allocations. In total, Storefront grants inN/NE P tl d h t t l d i t l $5 illi ith l th t i t d b b i d b ildiN/NE Portland have totaled approximately $5 million, with nearly the same amount invested by business and building owners.

Other PDC economic development programs include the brand new Interstate Green Features for Business grant, which helps ICURAbusinesses pay for sustainable improvements such as solar panels or efficient appliances; and the Enterprise Zone, which offers a five‐year tax abatement for businesses that bring new, quality jobs to N/NE industrial areas.

PDC also recently developed the City of Portland Economic Development Strategy in cooperation with the Mayor’s office. The strategyestablishes clear goals, including the creation of 10,000 jobs over five years, with emphasis on target industries including clean tech,activewear software and advanced manufacturing Another key goal of the strategy is Neighborhood Business Vitality The strategyactivewear, software and advanced manufacturing. Another key goal of the strategy is Neighborhood Business Vitality. The strategyspells out an Economic Gardening program – providing targeted assistance to local businesses with high growth potential.

PDC’s Business Finance program has helped create high quality office space at the Second Story Interactive on Fremont Street (left),assisted Portland’s African immigrant community in opening businesses such as Meskel Market on Killingsworth Street (center), andplayed a part in Portland’s vibrant music scene with a massive renovation of Mississippi Studios (right).

These are but a mere sample of the hundreds of buildings that have been renovated with PDC’s Storefront program. From left: GothamBuilding on Interstate Avenue, Kenton Village Shops on Denver Avenue, and the Alberta Co‐Op on Alberta Street.

PORTLAND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ● N/NE Economic Development Initiative ● August 19, 20094

Affordable HousingA key part of PDC’s mission is to provide access to quality housing. This policy was

N/NEfurther reinforced in 2007, when City Council established a budget mandate to use 30%of tax‐increment financing in any given urban renewal area for the provision ofaffordable housing. In 2008, City Council voted to create a new Portland Bureau ofHousing – combining the housing functions and staffing of PDC with those from theformer Bureau of Housing and Community Development. While many of PDC’s housingroles are moving to this new bureau, PDC will remain a major source of funding and animportant partner in developing affordable housing.

B t l b f th i ti d 30% t id PDC h b ki t idBut long before the reorganization and 30% set‐aside, PDC has been working to provideaffordable housing in N/NE Portland using its own resources, as well as channelingfederal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds. PDC housingaccomplishments have typically fallen into two major categories: housing developmentand housing programs. Major projects and programs are described below. Please notethat nearly all of PDC’s housing assistance entails income restrictions ‐ measured as apercentage of Median Family Income (MFI) – that are not listed here.

Housing Development

New Columbia

• New Columbia: PDC provided $6 million to construct the street infrastructure for thismixed‐use, mixed‐income neighborhood of 854 homes – formerly the site of the mid‐century Columbia Villa housing project.• Shaver Green: Built by Armstrong Development, and funded with $2.5 million in tax‐increment financing and $1 million in federal HOME funds, this 85‐unit apartment onMartin Luther King Jr Boulevard provides for a range of incomes and family sizes.• Patton Park Apartments: PDC worked with REACH CDC, TriMet and Metro to

Housing Development

Shaver Green

construct a 54‐unit affordable apartment building with ground‐floor commercial spacealong the MAX Yellow Line. Opening in February 2009, the building is completelyoccupied. PDC contributed $4.5 million to the project.• Fenwick Apartments: 27 affordable apartments near the Kenton MAX station,completed in 2004. PDC channeled $1.3 million in federal HOME funding.• Fremont Townhomes: Part of the Kings Crossing redevelopment at Martin Luther KingJr and Fremont, the project includes seven for‐sale row homes, one affordable at 80%of median family income.• Rose Quarter Housing: PDC partnered with Central City Concern to remodel the Rose

Patton Park Apartments

• Rose Quarter Housing: PDC partnered with Central City Concern to remodel the RoseQuarter Ramada Inn, providing transitional housing for those who have been homeless.

Fenwick Apartments

Housing Programs• Homebuyer Assistance: PDC helps first‐time homebuyers through down paymentassistance and reduced interest rates. In the ICURA, PDC helped 35 families orindividuals buy homes through June 2009, totaling over $1 million in assistance.• Home Renovation Assistance: PDC helps low‐income homeowners with repairs and

ti t h l th t i th i h I th ICURA PDC h id d 180p

renovations to help them stay in their homes. In the ICURA, PDC has provided 180home repair loans totaling approximately $3 million from 2000 through June 2009.• Fee Waivers and Abatements: PDC reimburses other City bureaus to reduce oreliminate the fees associated with building or moving into a new home, such as sewerand water hook‐up fees. PDC has provided nearly 600 abatements in the ICURA, withsales price or rent caps to encourage affordable housing.• Foreclosure Prevention Assistance: In response to the housing foreclosure crisis, PDCcontributed $55,000 in 2009 to foreclosure prevention and counseling servicesprovided by CDCs and other non‐profits that serve N/NE Portland

Fremont Townhomes

provided by CDCs and other non profits that serve N/NE Portland.• Outreach and Education: PDC works with organizations including the African‐American Alliance for Homeownership to organize homebuyer education fairs andother events.

PORTLAND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ● N/NE Economic Development Initiative ● August 19, 2009 5

TransportationTransportation is inextricably linked to the quality of life and safety of neighborhoods. PDC has worked hard to increase transportation

d ti i N/NE i hb h d d t t th f t f ll d lki bi li b li ht il t bil

N/NEaccess and options in N/NE neighborhoods, and to promote the safety for all modes – walking, bicycling, bus, light rail, automobilesand freight traffic. PDC concerns itself with transportation because quality, safe, multi‐modal transportation has the potential torevitalize neighborhoods and attract investment.

PDC typically implements transportation projects by transferring urban renewal funds through inter‐governmental agreements (IGAs)with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), or TriMet. Projects have includedthe following:

•MAX Yellow Line: Completed in 2004 the six‐mile light rail line connects North PortlandMAX Yellow Line: Completed in 2004, the six mile light rail line connects North Portlandneighborhoods with downtown Portland, and will eventually extend to Vancouver,Washington. PDC contributed $30 million in urban renewal funds to serve as the local matchto Federal Transit Administration funds.

• Streetscape Projects: Improving the pedestrian environment on commercial streets –widening sidewalks, providing crosswalks, adding trees and installing decorative streetlighting – is a major step in revitalizing neighborhood business districts. PDC has funded majorimprovements along the following streets:.p g g

Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard: Nearly the entire boulevard from Broadway toLombard saw improvements in the 1990’s, most notably landscaped medians, treesand street lighting.

Broadway/Weidler: PDC helped improve the Irvington business district in the1990’s, providing funding for wider sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks and new streetlighting.

MAX Yellow Line

Alberta Street: Dovetailing with a larger Portland Bureau of Transportation project in2002, PDC helped improve the pedestrian experience along Alberta Street from MLKto 33rd.

Killingsworth Street: PDC, with assistance from ODOT and Portland CommunityCollege, completed Phase I in 2008, including new sidewalks, crosswalks, trees andhistoric lighting from Interstate to Commercial Avenues. Phase II will continue theimprovements to MLK

Russell Streetscape

improvements to MLK.

Russell Street: Phase I is nearly complete, providing sidewalk improvements andadditional trees to the Lower Albina District. Phase II will continue the improvementsto MLK.

Denver Avenue: With generous neighborhood participation, PDC completed theDenver Avenue Streetscape Plan in 2008, calling for wider sidewalks, stormwaterswales public art benches and historic lighting Construction begins this month Martin Luther King Jr Streetscapeswales, public art, benches and historic lighting. Construction begins this month.

• Eastside Streetcar Loop: PDC helped leverage federal and other city funds to extend thePortland Streetcar to the east side of the Willamette. In the OCCURA, streetcars will run onBroadway, Weidler, Grand and 7th. Construction has begun.

• Small Transportation Projects: Smaller‐scale improvements have included:‐ Vancouver/Williams Transportation Safety Project: crosswalks, curb bulb‐outs‐ Bicycle parking “corrals” along Mississippi and Williams Avenuesy p g g pp‐ Traffic calming such as pedestrian refuge islands and speed bumps‐ Safer Routes to School: pedestrian improvements near K‐8 schools‐ I‐5 underpass improvements in the Rose Quarter to improve circulation

Williams Avenue Bike Corral

PORTLAND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ● N/NE Economic Development Initiative ● August 19, 20096

Parks and Open SpaceParks provide relief to the urban setting, offer recreation options to promote a healthylif l d dd h li bili d f i hb h d F h PDC

N/NElifestyle, and add to the livability and success of neighborhoods. For these reasons, PDChas been investing in improvements to existing parks in N/NE Portland, as well ascreating new open spaces where opportunities arise. PDC has collaborated closely withPortland Parks & Recreation to ensure that PDC park investments are in alignment withCity park and open space goals.

Park improvements have largely taken place in the ICURA, due to its inclusion of wholeneighborhoods. Park projects are listed below, along with the funding entities. In somecases PDC contributed in other ways such as funding the streets surrounding McCoycases, PDC contributed in other ways – such as funding the streets surrounding McCoyPark in New Columbia.

PDC funded a complete renovation of Patton Square Park, including a new playground and seating plaza.

Project Name (Funding Entity) Project Description1 Bridgeton Trail (PDC)      Concept plan for promenade trail along Columbia River 

between  Bridgeton Road and I‐5, a portion of the 40‐Mile Loop.

2 Northgate Park (PPR) Sports field improvements.

3 McCoy Park (HAP) Construction of new park as part of New Columbia mixed use redevelopmentmixed‐use redevelopment.

4 University Park (PPR/Federal Grant)

Community center renovation.

5 Trenton Park (PDC/PPR) New play equipment, benches, trees and pathways, ADA accessibility.

6 Kenton Park (PDC) Conversion of wading pool to waterplay feature.

7 Farragut Park (PPR) Tree trimming to improve safety and visibility. 

8 Columbia Park (PDC/PPR) Conversion of wading pool to waterplay feature, sports field improvements, park play area.

PDC carved the Albina Triangle park 

Martin Luther King Jr Streetscape

field improvements, park play area.

9 Peninsula Park (PDC/ PPR/ Neil Kelly Foundation)

Conversion of wading pool to waterplay feature, tree trimming to improve safety and visibility, rose garden maintenance.

10 Patton Square Park (PDC) Complete renovation including new playground, community plaza, benches, tables, pathways, new plantings.

11 Madrona Park (Adidas) Playground and trail.

12 Beach Community Garden Renovations.

out of surplus street right‐of‐way. 

PDC converted  three wading pools into safer waterplay features, including this one at Kenton Park.

y(PDC/BES)

13 Pittman Addition Hydropark(Portland Water Bureau)

Public park on unused Water Bureau land in the Overlook neighborhood, including walking paths, benches and public art. 

14 Albina Triangle (PDC) New gathering space on surplus street right‐of‐way,including curved seatwall, game table, native plants,rock artwork, stormwater filtration garden.

15 Willamette Greenway Trail (BES) 0.35‐mile portion of trail in vicinity of Bureau ofEnvironmental Services pump station.

16 Unthank Park (PDC) Lighting, picnic tables, seating, master plan document. 

17 Overlook Park (PDC/ PPR) Playground, baseball field improvements, landscaping along Interstate Ave.

18 Dawson Park (PDC) Lighting, gazebo renovation, master plan document.

19 Martin Luther King Jr. Gateway & H it M k (PDC)

Concept plan calling for gateway feature, public plaza, t t l d hi t i i t t ti

OCCURA funds helped complete the Lloyd District portion of the Eastbank Esplanade.

& Heritage Markers (PDC) stormwater swale and historic interpretation.

20 Eastbank Esplanade (PDC) Lloyd District portion of the popular multi‐use trail along the Willamette River between the Steel and Hawthorne bridges. 

PORTLAND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ● N/NE Economic Development Initiative ● August 19, 2009 7

Community & Historic FacilitiesPDC has continually dedicated resources to improve important community institutions: meeting halls, community centers, child carefacilities and schools In doing so PDC has also helped to preserve N/NE’s rich history

N/NEfacilities and schools. In doing so, PDC has also helped to preserve N/NE s rich history.

Community Livability Grant: This grant program has been available in the ICURA since2006. It assists neighborhood groups and non‐profit entities in restoring, enhancing orexpanding community facilities. Since the inception of the program, PDC has awarded 24Community Livability grants totaling nearly $950,000. Projects have included:

• Albina Youth Opportunity School: new roof• Amazing Grace Child Care: new playground equipment and ground work• Celebration Tabernacle electrical ork in café

Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center

• Celebration Tabernacle: electrical work in café• Disjecta Interdisciplinary Art Center: interior and exterior renovations• Ethos Music Center: exterior brick cleaning• Garden Sheds by OTI: Tool sheds for three community gardens• Historic Columbian Cemetery: restoration of tombstones and gazebo• Humboldt School: playground trees, benches.• Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center: sound‐proof doors, windows• June Key Delta Community Center: sustainable addition to community center• Kenton Firehouse: acoustic ceiling security door sustainable landscapingKenton Firehouse: acoustic ceiling, security door, sustainable landscaping• Liberty Hall: exterior renovations• Open Meadows Alternative School: new roof, gutters• Oregon Community Warehouse: building renovations, energy upgrades• Paul Bunyan: repaint and restore the statue• Peninsula Children’s Center: new heating system, energy‐efficient windows, roof• Polish Library Building: exterior renovations• Trillium Charter School: reclaimed wood gym floor, community kitchen

Kenton FirehouseCommunity Gathering Places: PDC has assisted in the restoration of severalimportant community gathering places, including the Billy Webb Elks Lodge, MiraclesClub, and Dawson Park Gazebo. The gazebo is an important reminder of the historyof the Albina community – it was the cupola of one of the commercial buildings torndown during the ill‐fated 1970’s Emanuel Hospital urban renewal project.

Historic Home Paint: PDC partnered with the Bosco‐Milligan Foundation andNortheast Workforce Center to paint homes of historic significance in ICURA.Community volunteers painted a total of six homes.

Historic Preservation Through Other PDC Work: Many of PDC’s other programs helpforward the goal of historic preservation. Most notably, the Storefront program hashelped renovate the façades of hundreds of historic N/NE commercial buildings.Many DOS grants and Commercial Property Redevelopment loans have also focusedon the restoration and reuse of historic buildings.

Billy Webb Elks Lodge

Polish Library BuildingHistoric Home Paint: Essie Murray (left) and Jennie Portis, at Murray’s home.Dawson Park Gazebo

PORTLAND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ● N/NE Economic Development Initiative ● August 19, 20098