Southeast Portland Property Sought For Housing, Community Center

Note: This post has been updated. Any and all updates appear at the end of the original post.

In a peculiar example of an issue seemingly entirely free of contention, members of the Portland City Council received nothing but positive -- and enthusiastic -- testimony today on a resolution to enter into negotiations to purchase the site of the former Washington High School for development into a community center for inner southeast Portland.

"This is an exciting day and a long-awaited day for the inner east side," said Commissioner Jim Francesconi, who introduced the resolution. Rattling off a list of more controversial projects the neighborhood has taken on (about which you can read more from Jack Bogdanski), Francesconi said it was now the neighborhood's turn to receive something of clear benefit to everyone.

Representatives from Portland Parks & Recreation, the Portland Public Schools Real Estate Trust, the Buckman Community Association, Hosford-Abernathy Neighborhood Development Association, Southeast Uplift, the Kerns Improvement Committee, and many others testified in support of the resolution. Due to a number of "time certain" items on the day's agenda, several people scheduled to testify passed in order to save time.

"What you don't hear," said Susan Lindsay, chair of the Buckman Community Association, "is opposition, and that is remarkable."

Calling it "sensible and innovative," Linda Nettekoven of HAND said the plan is important for "supporting families and stopping the flight to the suburbs."

Andrew Eisman, past chair of the Buckman association, said that his business has already pledged money to provide wireless Internet access at the proposed community center.

Southeast Uplift reported that the proposal "received support from every neighborhood in the coalition."

The capstone to public testimony was that of Buckman's M'Lou Christ, who displayed large photographs of area residents standing at the Washington-Monroe site, each holding an item one would expect to find in use at a community center. "Thet wanted me to bring them virtually," Christ said. "Aceept that as their visual testimony."

"It's already being built," said Francesconi, referring to the long-standing push for such a community center for inner southeast Portland. "You folks in the central east side have been building it." He also said making sure the community center happens is his "number one priority."

Saying that the City should do more of this sort of thing, Commissioner Leonard said, "I'm very pelased we've come to this opportunity." Commissioner Erik Sten added that this was "a terrific first step, and a long time in coming."

Mayor Vera Katz said that she has the responsibiltiy to see that the project goes forward, but cautioned that the process is just beginning. Funding, for example, will have to come from a "combination of a lot of different sources" because "there is no pocket left to pick."

The resolution specifies that funds to purchase the property are to be taken from Portland Parks & Recreation development charge funds, capital improvement project funds, the general fund, or through reordering priorities at Parks & Recreation. Francesconi had specifically mentioned the reordering of priorities as a likely avenue, given the importance of the community center project.

"My commitment to you," the Mayor said, "is to see if we can glue a package together."

And with that, the City Council had unanimously approved the measure, which resolves that Portland Parks & Recreation will "negotiate a sale purchase agreement with Portland Schools Real Estate Trust for approximately 4.5 acres of the Washington Monroe site."

The resolution instructs Parks & Recreation to (among other things) create a memorandum of understanding with the Real Estate Trust "that converys the City's intent to purchase the land" and participate "in discussions with the selected housing developer, Portland Schools Real Estate Trust and the community."

The actual purchase of the property, and determination of sources for operating and maintenance costs, will come before Council at a later date, after a negotiated agreement for the purchase is reached.

This entry was posted by The One True b!X on February 18th, 2004, at 5:35 PM and is filed under Design & Development, Livability, Metro-Area Politics. There are three comments (most recently on August 15th, 2005, at 7:30 PM) and .