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Work is wrapping up on a project started last year by the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to explore ways to leverage investment and maximize employment opportunities in Portland’s Central Eastside Industrial District and Brooklyn neighborhood.

Eden Dabbs, a spokeswoman for the BPS, said the Southeast Quadrant Plan’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee in January will present to the planning commission its recommendations for zoning changes in the inner east side. A public hearing will take place in March, and the commission will vote in April whether to recommend the proposed changes to Portland City Council, Dabbs said.

鈥淭he advisory committee was trying to address what the community wanted,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey wanted to come up with a hybrid plan that pleased as many people as possible.鈥�

Portland’s inner east side 鈥� from the waterfront east to 12th Avenue and north of Powell Boulevard to the Banfield Expressway 鈥� has become one of the city’s fastest developing areas. The advisory committee met in early September and again in early October to come up with preliminary land use decisions based on input gathered over the past year from a wide range of individuals and organizations that could be affected, said Troy Doss, Southeast Quadrant Plan project manager.

鈥淭here’s going to be a demand for 9,000 new jobs in this area in the next 20 years,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur job is to figure out how to fix things to allow for this growth.鈥�

Doss explained that the area the advisory committee is reviewing is zoned mostly for general industrial use or for mixed development much like the Pearl District.

The proposed changes would allow new construction for industrial purposes and expand the amount of square feet allowed for retail sales.

Some business owners in the area are worried about potential changes, Doss said.

鈥淭he notion of what an 鈥榠ndustrial sanctuary’ means was developed in the ’70s and ’80s when industry looked different,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e’re not seeing traditional industrial wanting to be in that area as much anymore. We’re seeing a new, different type of industry.鈥�

Doss said that many of the businesses interested in the area are software companies, design firms and light industrial firms such as bicycle parts manufacturers.

鈥淲e need to be nimble as a district 鈥� we need to allow for a framework that can adapt to changes in industry types, production and employment that we might not even see coming right now,鈥� said Carrie Strickland, co-founder of Works Partnership Architecture. 鈥淔or someone that has done a lot of work with businesses that fit into the 鈥榠ndustrial office’ category, I think that we need to make sure that the outcomes support the shift in what constitutes production space, and employment has to continue to be the main focus of the district.鈥�

Strickland, an advisory committee member, said she’s encouraged by the progress the group has made.

鈥淚 think the greatest challenge is making sure that folks are thinking about the future and what’s best for the district as a whole, not just their personal interests,鈥� she said.

The committee also is deciding what to do with a 17-acre plot of waterfront land 鈥� owned by OMSI 鈥� slightly north of the Tilikum Crossing and underneath the Marquam Bridge. Museum officials want the land rezoned to allow housing.

鈥�(OMSI officials) think they need to have residential there, but I adamantly disagree,鈥� Doss said. 鈥淛erry Johnson from Johnson Economics ran the numbers for us to compare what OMSI proposes with what we propose. There’s just not enough land to create a sense of place.鈥�

Doss said that with so much multifamily construction under way, by the time zoning changes take effect, demand won’t be as high and no developer will want to build.

鈥淚 say, why zone for a moment in time?鈥� he said.

According to preliminary decisions made by the advisory committee, the land where OMSI wants to build would stay EX, or mixed use, but not allow residential or big-box retail.

Strickland said she’s unsure whether housing on OMSI’s land is a good idea, but said she’s open to it.

鈥淚 think it’s still up in the air about whether housing is the key to unlocking the potential of that area,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he light rail station will obviously bring a different energy to the south end of the Central Eastside.聽If there are ways to mend potential conflicts between residents and businesses and the train 鈥� I don’t see why we couldn’t allow housing to play a role in that area developing.鈥�