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A group of business, civic and philanthropic leaders are proposing a long-term plan to remake the Rose Quarter by reintroducing housing, a street grid and open space into the Northeast Portland entertainment district.

Members of an informal group are pushing what they call the 鈥�Albina Vision.鈥� The group set out to reimagine the Rose Quarter, assuming only that the Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum would remain as anchors in the area. Everything else was subject to possible changes.

The group is presenting an early-stage conceptual plan to public officials, business leaders, community groups and media organizations. It imagines a sweeping future vision for the Rose Quarter that better integrates the 90-acre area into surrounding neighborhoods.

Urbanists have long complained that the Rose Quarter functions as an island that’s largely removed from the rest of Portland. On nights when there are no events such as a Portland Trail Blazers or Winterhawks game, or a big-ticket concert, the area can be empty and lifeless.

鈥淚t’s severed from the communities around it by infrastructure, and it lacks a 24-hour population,鈥� said Tom Cody, a developer who is part of the Albina Vision group. 鈥淭here are no people there. It’s basically designed to accept and release large numbers of people for events.鈥�

The capacity for development is potentially among the largest in the Portland-metro area.

鈥淭here’s opportunity for 7 million square feet 鈥� or more 鈥� of new development,鈥� said Hennebery Eddy Architects President Tim Eddy, who is involved in the Albina Vision.

In part, the Albina Vision seeks to mitigate past wrongs. The area now home to the Rose Quarter was once part of Albina, a largely black neighborhood. Several blocks were razed as part of city-led urban renewal efforts. Homes, businesses and churches were destroyed.

The Rose Quarter also interrupted East Portland’s street grid. The Albina Vision plans to restore some 鈥� but not all 鈥� of the grid.

鈥淭hat grid was previously houses, it was apartment buildings, it was churches, it was commercial space,鈥� Eddy said. 鈥淚t was a full working, living neighborhood community.鈥�

Apartments are a key piece of the Albina Vision. At present, there’s only one low-income building on the northern periphery of the Rose Quarter.

鈥淪o one of the cornerstones of the plan is we bring housing 鈥� a lot of housing 鈥� and people on the full income spectrum deep into the district, and that will bring a heartbeat to a place that was separated from its people,鈥� Cody said.

The Albina Vision group was started by Rukaiyah Adams, chief investment officer of Meyer Memorial Trust and chairwoman of the Oregon Investment Council, and Jim Francesconi, vice president of public policy at Moda Health, and now includes about a dozen community leaders. Cody and Eddy quickly came on board, as did Zari Santner, a former director of Portland Parks and Recreation. Others include Gregg Kantor, the retired chief executive of NW Natural, and Michael Alexander, retired chief executive of the Urban League of Portland.

鈥淲e agreed that there needed to be a comprehensive look at development opportunities in that area,鈥� Santner said.

The group hopes to put an overall plan in place before any large-scale development 鈥� such as a corporate campus 鈥� comes to the Rose Quarter.

It remains to be seen whether the group can persuade the major players, including city commissioners, the Portland Trail Blazers, Moda Health and others, to buy into their vision. But members said the mayor’s office and the Trail Blazers had given their blessing to investigate a large-scale vision for the Rose Quarter.

Much of the land in the area is owned either by the city of Portland or Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen’s Vulcan Inc.

Mayor Ted Wheeler said he’s had conversations with the Albina Vision group.

鈥淚 like a lot of elements of that package, including taking advantage of a reconnection in our grid system, and a focus on housing and a focus on rebuilding a community that was really torn asunder through urban development,鈥� he said.

But, Wheeler added, the city is a long way from any formal plans to redevelop the Rose Quarter.

鈥淎t this point, we’re not really settling on 鈥� we’re way premature to say we’ve settled on any concept or idea around this development site,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here’s a lot of pre-work that still needs to happen. But I know those players. I have confidence in their vision. I support the premise behind their vision, and I’m glad that they’re engaging this conversation with us and the community at large.鈥�

Trail Blazers spokesman Michael Lewellen said the organization had no comment on the Albina Vision.

鈥淭here’s nothing to say at this point,鈥� he said.

Vulcan Inc. did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Albina Vision members are investigating possible governance structures to ensure their plan influences future development there. They’re looking to form a nonprofit governance group modeled after those in other cities, such as New York’s Battery Park City Authority, to oversee and guide development in the district.

The Albina Vision takes more ambitious steps than the city’s North/Northeast Quadrant Plan, which was a precursor to the city’s comprehensive plan that will take effect Jan. 1, 2018.

The Albina Vision envisions bulldozing existing parking garages and then constructing parking underground. The group is also looking into building large 鈥渓ids鈥� or 鈥渃aps鈥� 鈥� structures that would extend over Interstate Avenue and rail lines between Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the Willamette River. The caps would be covered in park-like open space, reaching the river.

鈥淣obody had a plan,鈥� Eddy said. 鈥淪o we created a plan.鈥�

Ethan Seltzer, Portland State University professor emeritus of urban studies and planning, raised questions as to whether undergoing an expensive remake of the Rose Quarter should be a priority for Portland.

鈥淚f you really wanted to draw African-American families back into north-northeast Portland, what could you do with that money?鈥� he said, suggesting new schools as one option.

Urban design isn’t the solution to every problem, Seltzer said.

鈥淚t all sounds great, but I’d be a little careful of the old saw: If your only tool is a hammer, all your problems look like nails,鈥� he said. 鈥淎re we buying into something before there’s been an adequate explanation of the options?鈥�

Reaction to the Albina Vision has been overwhelmingly positive, Santner said.

鈥淲e are very, very encouraged by the reception this is getting from various groups,鈥� she said. 鈥淧eople like the idea.鈥�