WELCOME TO feature: PDC’S NEW MONTHLY PUBLICATIONPDC’s feature: is a monthly newsletter that aims to update and inform the community on what is happening around the city. Inhopes of keeping information fresh and more readily available, feature: will replace the PDC Quarterly as a monthly publication.Each edition will highlight various programs, projects and initiatives taking place in the city’s 11 urban renewal areas. The updateswill cover activities happening in our Central City, Neighborhood and Business and Industry departments. We will also spotlightadditional special projects we think may be of interest to the public. The online version of the feature: will be available atwww.pdc.us/feature:. Online articles will link you to more in-depth article information. If you wish to receive the printed version byregular mail, you don’t need to do anything. If you would rather receive it online, please e-mail friesenm@pdc.us. You will beremoved from the print mailing list and sent an email notification with a link to the newest edition of feature: .

Signs of new life and vitality in such forms as tree plantings, new lighting and street banners – arepopping up in several Portland neighborhoods and commercial districts, thanks to recent PDC and partnerinvestments. The vision of 20-minute neighborhoods, called out as a key element of the city’s new eco-nomic development strategy, is becoming a reality through revitalization projects around the city; from theearliest stages of public process for a project on Foster and Woodstock streets to North Russell Street

improvements in North Portland.

At the starting point, the process of seeking public input is underway for the Foster/Woodstock Streetscape EnhancementProject in Lents, a collaborative project between the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation and PDC to improve thestreetscape and enhance safety on the Foster-Woodstock Boulevard couplet between Southwest 87th and 101st avenues.The project will construct new sidewalks, install street trees, pedestrian scale street lighting and curb extensions to

improve the pedestrian environment and facilitate crossing safety. The project will alsoattempt to restore on-street parking at select locations to add parking capacity and pro-vide traffic safety. The current project budget is approximately $2.25 million and isfunded by a $1.9 million Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) grantfrom METRO and $350,000 in funding from PDC.

A project in the Interstate URA is a bit farther along in the process. Thecontract for Denver Streetscape construction was awarded to R&R GeneralContractors Inc. at the July 29 City Council meeting. A kick-off “open forbusiness” press conference signaling the start of the project was held inAugust and construction began in late September. This $2.85 millionstreetscape project will renovate the four and a half block main street inthe Kenton neighborhood (North Denver Avenue) from Interstate Avenuesouth to Watts Street, with wider sidewalks, street trees, stormwaterplanters, public art and carved stone benches. The project was featured inthe July issue of Portland Monthly magazine.

Construction on the North Russel l Street improvement project isslated for completion in late summer. The Russel l Street Improvement Plan area covers parts oftwo urban renewal areas: the Interstate Corr idor and the Oregon Convention Center. Phase Iincludes streetscape improvements on Russel l Street between North Interstate and Kerby Avenueon the north side and Ross Avenue on the south side.

The installation of a series of streetlight banners along Southeast 102nd Avenue between Halseyand Glisan in the Gateway district marks the completion of Phase One of the 102nd AvenueStreetscape project. Designed by local artist Christopher Masciocchi and funded by PDC, the banners are cutout of aluminum for durability and feature iconic graphics representing the local area, such as the MAXtrain, medicine, community, education, airport and outdoor recreation. The banners add a sense of placeand vitality to the area and complement the recent sidewalk paver installation and landscaping.

feature:

Street makeoversbreathe new

life intoneighborhoods

PPOORRTTLLAANNDDD E V E L O P M E N T C O M M I S S I O N

Neighborhoods

Photos left to right: September 12, 2009, Max light rail

opened for service along the downtowntransit mall – NW 5th and 6th

avenues; Mississippi Avenue StreetFair Saturday July 10, attracted

more than 80 vendor booths, 12 livemusic shows and more than 5,000 vis-itors to the event; Portland’s ClassicalChinese Garden is a cultural oasis in

the heart of Old Town/Chinatown (see Business and Industry feature).

Aerial perspective of the Denver Street improvements.

Developer Selected for S.E. 92nd and HaroldStreet in Lents

After a three-month review of eightqualified responses to a Request for Qualifications(RFQ) related to develop-ment of three-and-a-halfacres in the Lents area ofsoutheast Portland, the Port-land Development Commis-sion has selected Turtle Island Development, LLC ofPortland to move to the nextphase of the redevelopmentprocess.

The development site, knownas 92/H, is located at SE

92nd Avenue and Harold Street in theLents Town Center Urban RenewalArea. The RFQ, issued by PDC in February, was centered around thecreation of a vibrant and sustainabletransit-oriented development. A 12-member Selection Advisory Committeeunanimously recommended that PDC select Turtle Island, which, during this second phase, will complete a site designand feasibility plan.

“The qualifications of all of the responderswere very impressive,” said PDC ProjectManager Justin Douglas. “But there wasuniversal agreement among the commit-tee members that, given the quality oftheir past work, Turtle Island was thebest choice for this project. We are ex-cited to move to the next phase of work,where they really refine their plan forthe redevelopment of this key parcel.”

The second phase of the project willrun from approximately Septemberthrough November. Once that work iscomplete, the developer will l ikelyenter into a Disposition and DevelopmentAgreement with PDC in early 2010.

“ I t ’s a un ique oppor tun i ty and a b ig respons ib i l i ty to be invo lved wi th apro jec t that can he lp reshape the Lentscommuni ty,” sa id Tur t le I s land Deve lop -ment pr inc ipa l Ed McNamara. “There is alot of work to be done, but we are look-

ing forward to this challenge.”

Opportunities in Asia prompt recent outreachPDC’s reach is expanding across thePacific Rim…with a recent series of

small but important steps toward ex-panding export potential for local businessesand opening up opportunities for Asian com-panies to invest in the Portland region.

The 2nd Annual International PhotovoltaicPower Generation show (PV Expo 2009), in Tokyo, Japan, February 25-27 drew nearly70,000 attendees, including PDC staff who

participated with Team Oregon at the show.In addition to promoting Portland’s competi-tive advantages for green-tech/solar busi-nesses from all over the world, PDC staff metwith a significant number of potential investors and developed contacts to assist

with a subsequent business development tripto Asia in early April.

The first leg of that April trip took place inJapan, where PDC conducted “Doing Businessin Portland” events for both existing Japan-ese investors in Oregon and several newprospects identified at the February solarshow. Staff also participated in targeted busi-ness development meetings in Kyoto andTokyo with qualified investment prospects.Then it was on to China in May, where PDCCommissioners and staff partnered withGreenlight Greater Portland and the PortlandBusiness Alliance to organize two investmentseminars, and conducted business develop-ment appointments with sixty-plus prospectsin Shanghai and Beijing. Several Chinesefirms in the renewable energy sector have ex-pressed strong interest in Portland as a loca-tion for manufacturing as well as R&Dfacilities. The Beijing seminar featured PDCCommissioner Steve Straus’s presentation onPortland’s green building success; he was

joined by Bob Packard, Managing Partner,ZGF Architects.

Later in May, PDC teamed with the OregonBusiness Development Department and thePacific Northwest International Trade Associa-

tion to host an Inter-national Road ShowMay 18-19. Theevent, designed tohelp Oregon compa-nies tap into foreignmarkets, connectedlocal and regionalbusinesses with rep-resentatives fromJapan to discuss de-velopment and ex-pansion of productsand services in major

overseas markets and opportunities for salesand distribution.

Most recently, PDC staff joined representa-tives from Oregon Business Development Department, LRS Architects, and Interface Engineering and Green Building Services atChina’s annual Green Building and Sustain-able Cities Exhibition, held at the Beijing In-ternational Exhibition Center June 18 – 20.PDC staff attended the show to reinforce Port-land’s leadership position in the green build-ing industry and to promote Portland as a citythat supports companies providing sustain-able products, services and practices. Thiskind of sector-specific trade show also allowsfor the assessment of global opportunities forPortland’s small- to medium-sized businesses.The show was hosted by China’s Ministry ofConstruction which oversees all urban devel-opment and construction including buildingsand infrastructure as well as basic servicessuch as transportation.

Business & Industryfeature:

Asia outreach business

development

Photos Above, the 92ndand Harold site is the former home of

Lents Little League; above right,Portland’s Japanese Garden openedin 1967 and in 1988 was proclaimedthe most authentic Japanese gardenoutside of Japan; lower right, theOregon team in China from left to

right, Raymond Cheng of LRS Architects, Andy Frichtl and Jon

Gray, both of Interface Engineering,attended China’s annual GreenBuilding and Sustainable Cities

Exhibition in Beijing.

These stories andmore can be found on our web site atwww.pdc.us.

PDC is partnering with the Portland-Sapporo Sister City Association on a trade and investment mission to Japan ledby Portland Mayor Sam Adams.The mission, which celebrates the50th anniversary of the Portland-Sapporo relationship, will focuson increasing Japanese invest-ment in Portland and helpingPortland firms increase their

exports to Japan, which is Oregon’s third largest export market.The trade mission is an excellent opportunity for Portland’s small–and medium–sized enterprises to meet with Japanese distributors,buyers and partners. Mayor Adams hosted a luncheon Novem-ber 2 at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Tokyo for potentialbuyers and distributors of Portland products. Mission participantsreceived a customized schedule of appointments with potentialrepresentatives, end users, wholesalers and distributors duringthe trip. For information about PDC’s international business initiatives, please contact Peter Cunningham at 503-823-9066,orcunninghamp@pdc.us.

The Preliminary Westside CentralCity Urban Renewal Study

The Potential Central City UrbanRenewal Study is evaluating

whether a new urban renewal area(URA) in Portland’s westside Central Cityshould be created and if so, recommendingwhere it should be.

This study is a response to recommendationsfrom a 2007 evaluation of three existingdowntown URAs: Downtown Waterfront,South Park Blocks, and River District. This effort coincides with the Bureau of Planningand Sustainability’s efforts to update thePortland Plan.

The first step in this process was a financialanalysis of the central city. Four study areaswere chosen based on development potentialand need for additional investment.

A 900-acre study area proposed by the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability included Northwest Portland, Goose Hollow,the central business district, cultural district,

and the university district. (see map) This ini-tial analysis provided important groundworkfor public decisions about the use of urban renewal and tax increment financing in theCentral City, which could be a powerful engine for job creation.

Mayor Adams is chairing a 24-member Evalu-ation Committee, which is meeting throughearly 2010 and will make recommendationsto the Portland Development Commissionboard. If the committee recommends that anew district be formed, they will also recom-mend priorities, key goals, boundaries and amaximum indebtedness.

Stakeholders and neighborhood membershave substantial opportunities to weigh in onthis phase of the project, as well as futurephases in the creation of an Urban RenewalArea Plan. Currently, the Evaluation Commit-tee is hearing from neighborhood associations

and organizations about potential projects forurban renewal in their areas. There are alsooutreach events and opportunities for publictestimony. Sign up on the website below tobe kept informed of the latest meetings andevents. The website includes a list of com-mittee members and meeting schedule, videoof past meetings, all handouts and a log ofall questions and answers.

The next Evaluation Committee meeting willbe held on November 18thfrom 1:00-3:00 in the PDCCommission ConferenceRoom (222 NW 5th Ave).

Check out the Future ofUrban Renewal website formore information:www.pdc.us/four/ccstudy.

Next Steps

Portland ranks #3 sustain-able large city in the U.S.Mayor Adams has establishedan evaluation committee tocontinue this analysis and develop

recommendations to the City Council and thePDC Board on a new URA within the studyarea. The group will recommend the priori-ties, key goals, boundaries and maximum in-debtedness of such an urban renewal area.There will be substantial opportunities forstakeholders and neighborhood members toweigh in on this next phase of the project, aswell as future phases in the creation of anUrban Renewal Area Plan.

A new URA could help

the city meet multiple goals

including job creation,

affordable housing,

connectivity and

a vibrant downtown.

Photos: Study area withinthe Cultural District (upper right), andanother that includes PGE Park (above)are two under consideration for an urban

renewal area designation.

GET INVOLVED:Information and meetingdates for the Future of Urban Renewal in both the Central City and

North/Northeast Portlandare posted on our website:

www.pdc.us/four.

feature: The future of urban

renewal - centralcity study areas

Central City

Map of Portland’s Potential Development Nodes

Redevelopment Site

Redevelopment Under Construction

Redevelopment Study Sites

Node Boundary

As businesses work to emerge from thecurrent economic recession, Portland has a

new plan for the economy. This pastJune, Portland City Council approvedits first economic development strat-egy in 15 years, an ambitious plan tocreate 10,000 jobs in the city of Port-land in the next five years.

The roll-out of the strategy providedopportunities to connect more closely withthe business community. On June 11, PDCUrban Development Director Erin Flynnpresented the strategy to a packed houseof nearly 500 people at GreenlightGreater Portland’s second annual RegionalEconomic Summit; two weeks later, onJune 29, Mayor Adams and PDC sponsoreda Small Business Town Hall to reach outto the small business community and em-phasize the small business initiativesthroughout the strategy. More than 100small business leaders attended the June29 event at the Doubletree Lloyd Center,demonstrating a positive level of engage-ment and interest in the proposed frame-work and strategic initiatives. Thestrategy work and roll-out is a prime ex-ample of cross-cutting policy and strategicinitiatives to connect and align the workwithin PDC’s Urban Development Depart-ment and agency-wide, demonstrating aheightened level of teamwork among UDDteams, other PDC departments, city bu-reaus and private organizations.

The strategy centers on three core con-cepts to support a sustainable economy:

� Generating robust job growth by maxi-mizing the opportunities to pro-duce and sell products andservices for existing, emergingand relocating businesses.

� Maintaining a leadership po-sition in sustainability by con-stantly striving to produce aninnovative urban setting thatfosters creativity and invention.

� Achieving broad-based pros-perity by stimulating economicactivity in neighborhoodsthroughout the city.

The three components of thestrategy overlap in many ways:effective workforce develop-ment increases employment opportunities for neighborhoodresidents; innovation from localprojects morphs into expertisethat can be sold abroad byPortland businesses; successfulneighborhood-based businessescan access national and interna-tional markets and drive tradedsector job growth.

Implementation of the strategy began inJuly, and workplans for the different com-ponents are moving ahead.

PDC was created by a vote of Portland citizens in 1958 to serve as the city’s urban renewal agency. In 2008, PDC celebrated its 50th anniversary. Throughout the years, PDC has played a key role in keeping Portland one of America’s most livable cities. Our mission is to achieve Portland’s vision of a diverse, sustainable community with healthy neighborhoods, a vibrant central city, a strong regional economy and quality jobs and

housing for all. Today, PDC is internationally recognized as a model for urban renewal success and sustainable practices.

222 Northwest 5th AvenuePortland, Oregon 97209

www.pdc.us

Special Projectsfeature:

City of Portland unveils economic

development strategy

A complete copy of the strategy is availableat www.pdxeconomicdevelopment.com.

The city must now make

an investment to

transform [Portland’s]

economy into a generator

of high wage employment.