After an intensive public process, community members and Portland Parks and Recreation, and especially nearby neighbors identified 4.5 acres as essential. After a unanimous city council vote in February directing Parks to negotiate with PPS to acquire the site, the City has yet to fully back this purchase. Parks continues to review its options and to keep a smaller land parcel purchase scenario on the table.

The difference between the two figures represents approx. $600,000, virtual chump change in a $1.8 billion general fund City budget. Inner SE residents have patiently waited over 20 years while neighborhoods throughout the City have received PP&R resources. Building a Community Center with parking and open space needs easily could have swallowed the entire 7.2 Washington High acre site, however residents early on agreed to not take that position in order to allow opportunities for ownership housing units (sorely lacking in Inner SE) to be included on the site. Many residents who supported keeping the entire publicly owned site in public hands feel they have already compromised by agreeing to the private sale and development on three of these acres, knowing full well of the requisite community impacts that will be imposed in their already highly dense neighborhood.

Now neighbors are being told that the resources may not be there for the 4.5 parcel, only for the 3.9 acre site not recommended by the very neighbors who have to live with all the traffic/parking etc. impacts, which Parks also says it doesn't have the money for.

The bottom-line is that this will all be financed over the long-term with a loan, after a large down payment, and the Council members must support the loan, quit stalling over .6 of an acre which is a pittance to them, but very important to the nearby neighbors, and move forward to purchase of the entire 4.5 acres. Enough is enough. It’s time for the City to do right by inner SE. With its $100,000 check, the City has dipped its toe in the pool. Good work! The water’s fine; now it’s time to jump in.

Stayed tuned. We will be counting on your support to see this through. Please contact Virginia Davis at virginia@southeastuplift.org to be added to the email alert list. You've been great and it shows! The Mayor's unfortunate illness and a recent arbitration ruling against the City have slowed down some of the process, but the overall news is good. The City will be purchasing the 4.5 acres with your help, and then we can settle down and work together as partners to begin the long haul to secure funding in the future to actually build the Center.

For more information, contact Steve Hoyt at 503-232-0010 ext. 21 or the B.C.A. directly at 503-236-2214