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LEE PERLMAN
THE MID-COUNTY MEMO
Local fundraising for the fledgling Neighborhood Prosperity Initiatives is far from solved, but last month JPMorgan Chase & Co gave the effort a healthy boost.
At a news conference called by the Portland Development Commission last month, Brian R. Stewart, vice president and community relations officer for Chase, announced that his bank was donating $50,000 to a common fund for the six NPI districts, three of which are in east and outer southeast Portland, and one in Parkrose.
The NPIs are mini-urban renewal districts centered on commercial streets that are “under-performing” in terms of private investment. Once they are up and running, PDC will provide each of them with up to $1.2 million, some of it from tax increment funding, for business and physical improvements and promotional activities. One of the preconditions is that each district hire a professional manager, at a cost of $60,000 a year. PDC will cover half of the sum, but the local districts must raise the rest.
To meet this challenge, representatives of the six districts have been meeting to devise a common strategy. Although these talks have been private, there has been a consensus that the districts will need larger partners than they can find in their neighborhoods. Chase's donation marks the first success for such efforts.
PDC Executive Director Patrick Quinton and Commissioner Amanda Fritz both spoke at the press conference. Referring to the NPI's collective fundraising efforts Quinton said, “This is the first success of those efforts, and we hope it is the first of many.”
Fritz added, “I'm so happy to hear the word 'collaborative.' We can't have one of these districts succeed and others fail.”
Stewart said that the contribution was in line with Chase's mission to “meaningfully catalyze social change” in “areas of opportunity, especially communities of color.” They focus on “strengthening existing businesses, increasing the visibility of the district, and the creation of new jobs.” He added that Chase has “contacted other funders, and we would encourage them to join us.” Stewart later told the Memo that Chase might make additional contributions in subsequent years, but that they hoped that others would come forward.
Representatives of the six districts were present at the press conference, held at the Portland Community College Workforce Center at Northeast 42nd Avenue and Killingsworth Street, part of the 42nd Avenue District. Bob Granger of that district thanked PDC's Kate Deane, Dana DeKlyen, and Justin Douglas for their assistance and compared them to Olympic Team coaches. The contributions “mean not just a vote of confidence in us, but in what we're doing, and you will not be disappointed,” Granger said.
DeKlyen later told the Memo that the districts and PDC have been in contact with other potential major funders but that, as of mid-August, none had committed to make a contribution on the scale of Chase's. PDC had originally hoped to have managers hired in all districts by mid-June, but is now aiming to do so by October, she says. The goal is still to hire full-time managers at $60,000 a year each, but in some cases districts may opt for a half-time worker at half the cost and fundraising obligation, she says.
Districts are continuing also to do local fundraising. The Parkrose NPI District held a second fundraising dinner, this one at chair Joe Rossi's farm, on Aug. 25. Produced by Rossi's partner Amy Salvador through her company Trinity Event Productions, the five-course $65 a plate benefit dinner, called the Farmers Market Dinner, featured $500 of donated food from Parkrose Farmers' Market vendors, prepared by Ringside Steakhouse Chef Christopher Turke, and accompanied by live music.
At the Aug. 14 meeting, three tables of eight were pre-sold it was reported.
In other Parkrose NPI news, asked if the group was going to pursue a donation from the Parkrose Business Association now that they have a new president, Loretta Stites, Parkrose NPI vice-chair, said they were “going to let it lie for now.”
The group meets monthly on the second and fourth Tuesdays at the Russellville Grange, 12105 N.E. Prescott St., and welcomes people interested in improving historic Parkrose. Their website is www.parkrosenpi.org.
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