Local businesses provide employment for area residents and products and services close to home. Mid-county Memo Business Memos celebrate news, advancements, promotions, retirements, expansions and other noteworthy events at these cornerstones of our community. Business Memo submissions for the January issue are due by Saturday, Dec. 15. E-mail Darlene Vinson at editor@midcountymemo.com. You may also mail submissions to 3510 N.E. 134th Ave., Portland, OR 97230. To leave a phone message, dial 503-287-8904.
Venture Portland invests in neighborhood business districts
Venture Portland has awarded $63,668 to fund 13 fall/winter grant projects in Portland’s neighborhood business districts citywide. Projects range from retail-focused holiday events to district websites and placemaking banners—all with direct ties to the local economy. Venture Portland says these grants will leverage an additional $101,803 in private business district investment, a more than 1.5-to-1 match. Through grants, trainings and technical assistance, Venture Portland builds the capacity of Portland’s business districts.
Mid-county business districts that received grants for enhanced websites to highlight the district and its events are Gateway, 82nd Avenue and Foster Area.
Montavilla received a jointly sponsored Venture Portland/Travel Portland grant for district street banners to promote district identity and strengthen sense of place.
Many of the fall/winter grant projects focus on the important holiday retail period, a time to localize the season and support neighborhood businesses. According to Venture Portland, shopping locally also spreads holiday cheer; for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 returns to the local economy.
Blackburn Center wins national award
Sarah Chisholm, Central City Concern’s chief financial officer, accepts Novogradac’s Metro Community Development Qualified Low-Income Community Investment of 2018 Award for Blackburn Center, opening in summer 2019.
COURTESY CENTRAL CITY CONCERN
Novogradac & Company has named Central City Concern’s (CCC’s) Blackburn Center the Metro Community Development Qualified Low-Income Community Investment of 2018.
Blackburn Center, 25 N.E. 122nd Ave., is a six-story structure that combines a health care clinic with housing. The facility extends CCC’s services to give more people access to primary care, recovery and mental health services, housing and employment assistance. The building is set to open in summer 2019.
Sarah Chisolm, CCC’s chief financial officer, accepted the national award at the Novogradac 2018 New Markets Tax Credit Fall Conference in Austin, Texas.
The awards honor community development entities that exhibit a well-executed vision and measurable community impact, as well as those that show a commitment to establishing positive change in bringing more people and places into the economic mainstream.
CCC is the building developer and owner of Blackburn Center. The general contractor is Walsh Construction, and the architect is Ankrom Moisan. The project cost is $52 million.
CCC serves about 14,000 people a year through 13 federally qualified health center sites, 1,753 housing units and an Employment Access Center for jobseekers.
Novogradac & Company is a national professional organization offering cost-effective audit, tax and consulting services to a variety of companies.
New U-Haul neighborhood dealer
Grand Auto at 2400 N.E. 82nd Ave. will offer U-Haul trucks, trailers, towing equipment and moving supplies.
The arrival of U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 is revolutionizing the moving industry through its convenient, secure process to pick up and return a truck. U-Haul live verification technology allows rental transactions to be carried out entirely on a smartphone at any hour—day or night. There are no membership fees. Simply visit uhaul.com to create an online account.
Normal business hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Reserve U-Haul products at this dealer location by calling 503-252-1735 or visiting uhaul.com/locations/truck-rentals-near-portland-or-97220/030552 today.
Grand Auto owner Luda Ryabchuk is proud to team with the industry leader in do-it-yourself moving and self-storage to better meet the demands of Mid-county.
U-Haul and Grand Auto are striving to benefit the environment through sustainability initiatives. Truck sharing is a core U-Haul sustainability business practice that allows individuals to access a fleet of trucks that is larger than what they could access on an individual basis.
Every U-Haul truck placed in a community helps keep 19 personally owned large-capacity vehicles, pickups, SUVs and vans off the road. Fewer vehicles means less traffic congestion, less pollution, less fuel burned and cleaner air.
Grand Auto is a great place to become U-Haul Famous®. Take your picture in front of a U-Haul product, send it in, and your face could land on the side of a U-Haul truck. Upload your photo through Instagram using #uhaulfamous or go to uhaulfamous.com to submit photos and learn more.
