July 08, 2003
Planners Consider Developing City's Historical Waterfront
Today's Oregonian has some discussion on potential development of the area of Portland where they City first began:
Although this narrow swath abutting Tom McCall Waterfront Park has a lot going for it, planners and property owners say, the north end is deteriorating and will continue to do so unless the city gives it a transfusion.
They see parking lots, underused buildings, spots of criminal or intimidating street activity, and public or historic spaces empty on weekdays. This spells blight, they say, from Southwest Yamhill to Northwest Everett streets and from Waterfront Park to Second Avenue.
Portland Development Commission planners say this could be a 24-hour neighborhood with residents, a public market, fitness club, office towers and more shops and restaurants. And the drug dealing under the Burnside Bridge and other unwanted street activity would disappear.
I of course find this particularly interesting at the moment, since I just started my reading tour of Portland history, and have been learning much about the very early days of this particular portion of the City.
Among the challenges and potential pitfalls for development of this area: Whether or not to move the headquarters of the Fire Bureau, and where to move Saturday Market if that lot should be developed (one proposal is to move it to Waterfront Park).
Here's my suggestion: Take one section of one street and block it off to al but pedestrian traffic -- then sprinkle it with sculptural representations of white-washed stumps.
This will make sense to those who know their early Portland history. As for everyone else, I'll simply direct you to find a good book on the City's early years and do some investigating.