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Construction crews are now building a 62-unit affordable housing complex for seniors in Portland鈥檚 Overlook neighborhood. M Carter Commons, at 3704 N. Interstate Ave., will honor Margaret Louise Carter, who in 1984 became the first Black woman elected to the Oregon Legislature.

The six-story, 52,430-square-foot building will provide 56 one-bedroom apartments and six studios for rent. Of those, 21 will be for seniors earning up to 30 percent of the area median income (AMI). The other 41 will be for seniors earning up to 60 percent of AMI. An additional one-bedroom apartment will be an unrestricted on-site manager鈥檚 unit. Under the city鈥檚 N/NE Preference Policy, applicants with generational ties to North or Northeast Portland who have been involuntarily displaced or are at risk of displacement will be given priority.

Salazar Architect designed the building for co-developers and co-owners Northwest Housing Alternatives and the Urban League of Portland. The project team also includes civil engineer Humber Design Group, structural engineer VALAR Consulting Engineering, landscape architect PLACE, and general contractor O鈥橬eill/Walsh Community Builders.

Carter served more than two decades in public office, first in the Oregon House and later in the Oregon Senate. In 2005, she became the first African American to serve as president pro tempore of the Oregon Senate.

鈥淐arter was instrumental in passing legislation to establish聽Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a state holiday, promote聽divestment from apartheid South Africa, and expand聽minority contracting opportunities,鈥� Mike Schmidt, general counsel at Urban League of Portland, stated in an email. 鈥淗er legislative work consistently centered on equity and inclusion.鈥�

Carter earned degrees from Portland State University and Oregon State University. She then served for 27 years as a counselor and faculty member at Portland Community College, where the聽Margaret Carter Technology Education Building聽is located.

Carter also led the聽Urban League of Portland, served as聽deputy director of the Oregon Department of Human Services, and was elected to the聽Oregon Historical Society鈥檚 board of directors, Schmidt stated.

鈥淐arter鈥檚 journey 鈥� from a segregated upbringing in Louisiana to becoming a respected Oregon stateswoman 鈥� embodies resilience, courage, and a steadfast commitment to justice,鈥� Schmidt stated. 鈥淣aming a building after her not only honors her achievements but also serves as an enduring inspiration for future generations.鈥�

M Carter Commons will feature five wood-framed floors over one of concrete. The L-shaped building will open to a private, secure courtyard to the west. The first floor will have storefront glass and brick veneer. The residential floors above will be clad in fiber cement siding, Northwest Housing Alternatives Executive Director Trell Anderson indicated in an email.

Amenities on the first floor will include a large entry lobby, a large community room, leasing and resident service offices, and a common laundry room.聽The residential floors will be serviced by two elevators.

The all-electric building will have energy efficient appliances, heat pump heating and cooling, common heat pump hot water, and a rooftop solar array and battery backup.聽The building is expected to achieve Earth Advantage platinum certification, Anderson stated.

The total project cost is approximately $36.9 million. Two funding sources include an $8.1 million award from the Portland Housing Bureau of Metro affordable housing bond money, and a $300,000 grant from Metro鈥檚 Transit-Oriented Development Program.

M Carter Commons is being constructed on land (valued at $1.3 million) that was donated by Kaiser Permanente. The property sits adjacent to the health care organization鈥檚 North Interstate medical campus and across from TriMet鈥檚 Overlook Park MAX station.

Construction began March 12 and is expected to finish by May 22, 2026.