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Prosper Portland Chairman Tom Kelly and Commissioner Mark Edlen took part in their final meeting Wednesday after announcing they would step down from the board.

Kelly joined the board in January 2014, and had served as chairman since July 2014. Edlen joined the board in summer 2014.

The board will next meet Aug. 9. Mayor Ted Wheeler is likely to appoint replacements for Kelly and Edlen before then, spokesman Michael Cox said.

Kelly said he’s proud of his role in shepherding plans for Northwest Portland’s U.S. Postal Service site and Broadway Corridor, the Zidell properties in the South Waterfront District and four projects led by Prosper Portland in Lents, a Southeast Portland neighborhood where the agency has focused attention.

鈥淚 enjoyed most the fact the agency was going through a time of transformation 鈥� basically a transformation from an urban renewal agency to an economic development agency,鈥� Kelly said. 鈥淭here’s still five years or so of significant funding for urban renewal. After that, unless there’s new districts opened up, which could happen, the agency is going to be funded in a different way.鈥�

Prosper Portland, formerly known as the Portland Development Commission, is at work on a long-term business plan to be presented to the City Council in the fall.

Kelly also oversaw the hiring of Executive Director Kimberly Branam to replace Patrick Quinton last summer.

鈥淚’m really proud of having hired her,鈥� Kelly said. 鈥淚’m proud of the fact that I got the new mayor and the old mayor to agree on her, and she’s just doing a great job.鈥�

Kelly, 66, serves as president of Neil Kelly Inc., a Portland-based residential remodeling firm founded by his father. The firm has 210 employees and offices in five cities. Kelly said he’s looking forward to reducing his role at the company and expects his son, Garret, who leads the company’s service division and serves as a project manager, to take over.

Kelly was recently named chairman of Oregon Business Alliance for Climate, a new organization.

鈥淥ur goal is to get some carbon legislation passed in Oregon,鈥� he said.
Mark Edlen, co-founder of Gerding Edlen, is one of Portland’s most prominent developers. The company announced in February that Edlen would step back from a day-to-day role at the firm, but remain chairman.

Gerding Edlen played a major role in redeveloping the Pearl District, and now has a significant presence in California and Boston.

Edlen could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Branam, in a prepared statement, said Kelly and Edlen had 鈥渓ed us to address the agency’s long鈥搕erm future, ensure equitable outcomes, incorporate sustainable practices and deepen our relationships within communities.鈥�