April 21, 2004
City Moves One Step Closer To Inner SE Community Center
This Item Dedicated To Jack Bogdanski
Two months ago, City Council adopted a resolution to enter into negotiations with the Portland Public Schools Real Estate Trust to purchase land at the site of the former Washington Monroe HIgh School, with the aim of developing a community center and open space.
Click through to the earlier post for some of the background on this. Our item today is mainly to provide an update. This morning, City Council approved an ordinance to authorize a purchase and sale agreement to acquire the land.
Under the ordinance, Commissioner Jim Francesconi is authorized to execute the agreement on behalf of the City. Said agreement presents two options.
In the first option, a parcel of approximately 4.5 acres would be purchased for approximately $5,390,550. In the second option, a parcel of approximately 3.8 acres would be purchased for approximately$4,587,957. A decision on which parcel -- if either -- will be purchased must be made by May 31.
Parks & Recreation is working with the Office of Management and Finance to "identify a source of funds for the purcahse of the property," and that determination is expected to be made by the May 31 deadline for a decision.
Comments (4)
Jack Bog on 22 Apr 2004
Dedication? Wow, you're getting like Casey Kasem now. 8c)
I forward my dedication on to Lily Witham and my friends at the Buckman Community Association.
The One True b!X on 22 Apr 2004
Oddly, I missed a telephone call earlier from a neighborhood activist complaining that something about this latest development somehow came out of left field without community involvement. I haven't spoken to them directly, so I don't know what they were talking about.
However, I can say that this perplexes me, since as far as I know there was plenty of community involvement in putting the proposals together, but, well, once you get down to two parties having to negotiate the actual specific deal, that's not really the community involvement part of the process.
Mary Ann Schwab on 24 Apr 2004
...but, well, once you get down to two parties having to negotiate the actual specific deal, that's not really the community involvement part of the process.
I respectfully disagree with you on this point.
The Washington High School Project Advisory Committee worked for months with highly skilled professional Park Planners, who felt 4.5 acres was needed in Option B. This Option B plan was also approved the Southeast Uplift Board of Directors, who represent 20 neighborhoods.
I believe this is fast becoming a closed door deal, puting two proposals on the table, Option B with 4.5 acres vs Option C with 3.8 acres leading the general public to think the smaller size would save money, same resuls. Those of us who have worked for several months on this project don't think so. The Buckman Community is hosting the Recreational Center with pool on 4.5 acres, at the same time saving the sport tract and field, and standing trees for a mini park.
We fully expect our Mayor and City Commissioners to vote for the 4.5 acres, to make good a promise long over due for those of us living in the inner southeat neighborhoods, 25 years long over due.
It is my understanding, in the future SEUL will be notified whenever something of this magnitude in capital expendure and volunteer effort comes up for a vote in City Council.
CITIZENS ARE THE GOVERNMENT...CITY HALL WORKS FOR THE PEOPLE...RIGHT?
Blessings,
mas
The One True b!X on 24 Apr 2004
Given that they haven't secured funding to buy anything yet, I would presume that a deal was negotiated under which the City would choose one of two parcels so that they had an option depending on what funding could be found.
Meaning: If they can only find enough money to afford the 3.8 acres, would you rather they go "oh well, we don't want 3.8, so we won't buy anything" or would you rather they buy as much as they can?