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Central City URA won’t be created this year

The same week the Portland Development Commission decided to halt the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area expansion project, Mayor Sam Adams’ office told the agency that one of its other projects is being placed on hold.

Adams has decided to delay the creation of a new Central City URA in downtown Portland that would render $345 million of indebtedness that could be used for projects. Roy Kaufmann, the mayor’s communications director, said the decision to delay the process, which was supposed to be wrapped up by the end of this year, was based on a lack of information about projects needed in downtown Portland.

鈥淲e pushed for it to move forward at a good pace,鈥� Kaufmann said. 鈥淏ut at the end of the day it’s about moving forward with the best information.鈥�

An exploratory committee helping assemble the plan will reconvene in May, according to Kaufmann. In the meantime, the city will fully flesh out the Central City Plan, the Portland Plan and the Portland Economic Development Strategy, he said.
Some of the steering committee members believe the delay is a positive step.

鈥淎fter working with members of the business association and nearby neighborhood association, we don’t think that the plan we are working towards is a good idea,鈥� said Kay Wolfe, president of the Nob Hill Business Association and a member of the exploratory committee. 鈥淎nd it’s not even a matter of timing in my opinion.

鈥淚t’s about the projects and the size of it.鈥�
But Kaufmann is confident that the process will resume next year.

鈥淣othing specific stopped this,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n the spring we will take the work that we have done to this point and mix it together with the information we gather from here forward.鈥�

A delay in the Portland Development Commission‘s decision about the Rose Quarter has left one of the agency’s other major projects languishing in limbo.

PDC staffers late last week decided to halt further discussion on a possible expansion of the until a decision is made on the Rose Quarter, one of the potential expansion areas. The decision has left business owners and citizens from some of the other five possible expansion areas frustrated at their inability to tap into urban renewal money when they need it.

“We are disappointed this has been delayed,” said Babs Adamski, chairwoman of the St. Johns Neighborhood Association, who represents one of the areas where expansion could take place. “We have a list of projects that we think could really help St. Johns, and we believe that urban renewal is just the right tool to get them done.”

In 2009, after all projects in the area had been priced and the PDC realized there was still $120 million in loan money, the agency’s staff began looking at expanding the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area. An advisory committee was asked to look into expanding the URA to include six surrounding areas for its remaining 10 years.

After six months of meetings, the advisory committee this past May recommended the PDC include five of the six areas for a total of 475 acres.

The city and the Portland Trail Blazers are looking at development opportunities in the sixth area, the Rose Quarter. The committee was asked to wait to make a decision on whether that area should be included in the Interstate Corridor URA until the Trail Blazers presented specific details about their plans.

That plan was supposed to be presented this month, but the Trail Blazers received a six-month extension from the city.

The PDC wants to streamline URA adjustments by filing only one expansion amendment, so the agency will wait for the advisory committee to decide about the overall Interstate Corridor URA. In the meantime, the five expansion areas already earmarked for inclusion also must wait, unable to tap into development money available for the URA.

“At the request of Mayor Adams, we are in a holding pattern until they decide on something with the Rose Quarter,” said Sara King, manager of the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area for the PDC. “That plan is expected in May, at which time we will reconvene the group and look into a recommendation on whether or not to include the Rose Quarter in the expansion.”

Adamski said the St. Johns Neighborhood Association can wait, but she admitted that the contention surrounding the Rose Quarter makes her wonder if development will ever move forward.

“I live in the area and want them to get the best plan for the Rose Quarter,” Adamski said. “But we would like the (URA) expansion process to continue so we can know what to go forward with.”

She said the neighborhood could benefit from PDC’s loan programs for businesses in urban renewal areas. Several businesses are ready to expand, but few lenders are willing to loan money. Those PDC programs could aid expansions, she said.

People who live in the neighborhood also have earmarked several parking lots and vacant buildings for redevelopment. Several of these are at the gateway site at North Ivanhoe Street and North Philadelphia Avenue.

“St. Johns is perfect for urban renewal,” Adamski said. “We have all the bones, but we need the resources of urban renewal.”

But King said there’s no way to move forward until a decision has been made about the Rose Quarter.

“We are ready to move forward with the group,” she said. “But the Rose Quarter is a major aspect of this possible expansion, and we can’t go forward without knowing more about it.”