School district takes aim at old Elks Club
In 2015 the David Douglas School District purchased and—according to Susan Kuhn at Portland Development Commission—also requested and obtained the rezoning of the old Elks Club property at 725 N.E. 100th Ave. DDSD Communications Director Dan McCue, said the property has no determined use yet, nor is there a development schedule. It could be for a “school, support, etc.” or it could serve as a “satellite campus” for David Douglas High School. Said McCue, there are lots of “possibilities.” And yes, conversations have been held with Mount Hood Community College about “shared facilities,” confirmed McCue.

Asked whether Portland Development Commission would be involved in the future development of the site, McCue teased the Memo with the fact that PDC is “a player in the whole area, so …”

PDC’s public relations manager, Anne Mangan, confirmed that PDC would play a role in the site’s strategic development as part of the “Gateway Transit Center” plan, for which $8M in funding is currently allocated (“Proposed bicycle lanes blow up business’ parking MCM April 2016).

“At the request of the Mayor’s Office, PDC is facilitating a master planning process with Gateway property owners, David Douglas School District and Ted Gilbert, each of whom owns five acres between NE 99th Avenue to the west, Pacific Street to the north, NE 102nd Avenue to the east and Irving Street to the south. The intention of the master planning work is to provide the property owners with information on redevelopment options, potential uses, street and pedestrian connectivity, phasing and interim site uses. The work is expected to be completed by late April after a briefing to the David Douglas School Board for guidance on next steps,” Mangan said, acknowledging PDC’s role via email.

Nearly 16 years ago, Gilbert planned to develop his acreage into a mixed-use complex called The Elements at Gateway (“Developer Gilbert proposes four-story building at 102nd and Pacific Street” MCM May 2005). Gilbert’s original vision was to make the mix of retail, housing, professional and office space, including restaurants, independent, in keeping with the idea that Gateway transit center businesses should be viewed as mass transit destinations. The property has been vacant for many years, although the old Dental building remains at the corner of Northeast 102nd Avenue and Pacific Street.

For more information, contact McCue at dan_mccue@ddouglas.k12.or.us or call him at 503-261-8229, or contact Mangan at mangana@pdc.us or call her at 503-823-2954.

Updated Glisan redemption center reopens
Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative remodeled the popular Glisan BottleDrop Redemption Center at 12403 N.E. Glisan St., making it even easier to redeem bottles and cans. Updates include six additional self-serve return machines, wider entry doors and more floor space in the customer service area.

The center is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The 8,500 sq. ft. Glisan facility employs 6–7 people and offers three convenient ways to redeem Oregon deposit containers:

BottleDrop Account: pre-labeled bags filled with deposit containers may be dropped off 24 hours a day. Staff count and sort the containers, then credit funds to the account. The cash value can be accessed at participating grocery store kiosks or any BottleDrop location, or funds may be transferred to a participating charity account.

Self-Serve: super-fast automated machines will accept up to 350 containers per day. They take glass, aluminum and plastic all in one machine with no sorting.

Hand Count: staff will count up to 50 containers a day per person.

Participating grocery stores within 2 miles of the new redemption center are no longer required to accept deposit containers. Participating stores within a 3.5-mile radius will accept a maximum of 24 containers per person, per day.

Department of Human Services targets Hazelwood
Oregon Department of Human Services signed a lease to occupy the reclaimed Target store at 11826 N.E. Glisan St. in Glisan Street Station. The Target store in Hazelwood closed a little more than four years ago, and the building has been vacant and boarded up ever since.

Visible exterior renovation is underway by LCG Pence Construction of Salem for owner Weston Investment Co. dba American Property Management. The generally rectangular 117,279 square foot interior space is being renovated to DHS specifications, according to APM’s senior vice president of operations, Barton Stephens. “The exterior will have windows cut into the façade, and the east-end entry to the old Target will get a new look,” said Stephens via email. “The parking lot will also be upgraded with lots of new landscaping.”

The new Multi-Family Resource & Service Center at the old Target site will replace a Southeast Powell Boulevard office where DHS’s leasehold expires in June 2016. The new office also replaces the nearby DHS office at 1415 S.E. 122nd Ave., which is being sold. In the current real estate market, explained DHS District Manager René DuBoise via email, leasing a single large available space makes sense for DHS.

Administrators’ collaborative efforts acknowledged
David Douglas School District Director of Student Services Barbara Kienle is a Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools Honor Roll Champion. Kienle works to ensure that everyone’s skills and contributions are recognized and that the health of kids remains front and center. In spite of tightening budgets, Kienle works to engage teachers, principals, community organizers and fellow administrators in supporting physical activity through P.E. before, during and after classes and at recess.

Because of her efforts in working with community organizations and health providers, students are able to participate in sports programs, receive dental and health check-ups and have access to healthy foods in and around their school—opportunities which the district otherwise might not be able to afford.

Reporter Jim Stewart contributed to this report.