The Portland Development Commission Board last month approved the sale of two acres of land in Cascade Station for a new 100-room hotel.

The Port of Portland owns the 120-acre tract east of Portland International Airport, but a development team of PDC and the Bechtel and Trammell Crow corporations have a 99-year land lease to develop the property; PDC controlled 36 acres.

Nine acres of this were used last year to create a regional headquarters for the FBI.

The latest project, immediately to the east, is by Canterbury Hotel Group, which paid $759,251 for the property, according to PDC’s Bruce Allen.

Standard Insurance and Habitat for Humanity volunteers, and future occupants, raise one wall of a home in the ten-unit complex being built in east Portland.

Earlier this month, at the Orchards Project in southeast Portland, the Standard Insurance Company officially launched a partnership with Habitat for Humanity to help build two new homes for families in need.

Standard Insurance and Habitat for Humanity volunteers — and a future occupant — raise one wall of a home in the ten-unit complex being built in east Portland.

To keep the Portland Development Commission’s money faucet flowing, the six new Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative districts must each raise at least $15,000 annually to help pay their district managers’ salaries; PDC matches the money raised dollar-for dollar.

To help stakeholder committees meet the obligation, PDC gave the groups $3,000 to create marketing plans. To garner donations, the groups need to brand themselves, and then sell their ideals to the public.

In February, Amelia Salvador, left, had her company’s bid for creating marketing materials presented to the full Historic Parkrose Stakeholder Committee by Joe Rossi, center. Rossi and Salvador are also on the committee. Until recently, Rossi was the group’s chair.

The Parkrose Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative has scheduled “Establishing Parkrose Business” from 5 to 8 p.m. May 16 at Tony’s Tavern, 10524 N.E. Sandy Blvd.

There will be refreshments, and the entire community is invited. Parkrose NPI, one of six districts established by the Portland Development Commission, operates like a mini-urban renewal district, spending $1.2 million in the next eight to ten years on sprucing up the district and the businesses in it, promoting the area, and possibly doing a few public improvements to make it more vital, all under the direction of a Stakeholders Committee, a group of local volunteers.

The Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission heard testimony last month that proposed new parking requirements for new multi-family development were unnecessary and contrary to city goals, and that they did not go far enough to solve urgent problems.

After hearing two and a half hours of such testimony, the Commission approved the recommendations of staff with minor tweaks. The matter will now go to the Portland City Council for action.

The proposed changes would require developers to provide .25 off-site parking spaces in developments of 41 residential units or more.

Portland’s Planning and Sustainability bureau has started holding a series of workshops on the draft Portland Comprehensive Plan with more due, including one from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 2 at David Douglas High School, 1001 S.E. 135th Ave.

The Plan sets regulations for public action and private development through the year 2035, updating the plan in place since 1980.

Courtesy Planning and Sustainability bureau
Portland’s Planning and Sustainability bureau is holding a series of public workshops to get public input on draft proposals for the Portland Comprehensive Plan update. David Douglas High School hosts one this Saturday, March 2.

After fundraising targets were moved to accommodate what districts could hit, The Portland Development Commission’s six Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative districts have all met their targets, PDC’s Dana DeKlyen told the Memo last month.

All six districts, including Mid-Multnomah County’s Parkrose, Rosewood, Division-Midway and Jade districts have raised at least $15,000, she said. This, plus a pledged dollar for dollar match by PDC, will allow them each to hire a manager for the next six months.

Parkrose NPI co-chair Loretta Stites shows the home page of the group’s new website, www.historicparkrose.com, at a meeting last month.

Justin Douglas, a Senior Project Manager at the Portland Development Commission focused on east Portland projects, was promoted to policy manager at PDC recently.

After starting as a consultant in 2006 with a focus on Gateway, Douglas, a Baltimore native, began working for PDC in April 2007.

Justin Douglas, right, former Senior Project Manager for the Gateway Regional Center Urban Renewal Area, was recently promoted to policy manager at the urban renewal agency.

The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability will be holding a series of public workshops in February and March to get public input on draft proposals for the Portland Comprehensive Plan update.

The Plan, when complete, will impose regulations, including zoning, to guide future private development and public actions. The Mid-County workshop is March 2 at David Douglas High School.

Courtesy Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
In February and March, the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability is holding a series of public workshops to get public input on draft proposals for the Portland Comprehensive Plan update.

The January edition of the Mid-county Memo is posted online.

Tim Price, Parkrose high school head football coach, was fired in November. Over his five seasons, he had an 18-26 record.

Feature stories, news and events about east Portland people, all right here.

This month’s edition features: a Christmas tradition of giving at SnowCap Community Charities; Parkrose sacks head football coach Tim Price;

Parkrose school district buys a piece of property from the Rossi family for $240,000;

the Portland Planning and Sustainability Bureau holds Comprehensive Plan Workshops in east Portland;