Email: reviewnewspaper@gmail.com * Mail: PO Box 83068, Port. OR 97283 * Web: www.stjohnsreview.com * Phone: 503-283-5086 * The ST. JOHNS REVIEW * #1-Jan. 15, 2016 * Page 3
COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS
St. Johns Main Street Beginnings
Part 1: A Grassroots Endeavor
By Barbara Quinn
It was in 2008 as the economy
was beginning to sputter and slow
that St. Johns community activists
and business owners fi rst began
meeting to discuss a Main Street
program. There were problems
that needed confronting. Dotted
along Lombard vacant and ne-
glected storefronts stood stark-
ly haunted and dark, often with
street drinkers curled up in shad-
owy doorways as evening fell.
Pedestrians were often startled by
sudden movements and smells.
Store buildings once thriving and
lively in their 1950’s heyday had
begun to refl ect the slump of the
70’s and 80’s with peeling paint,
broken windows, and general mal-
aise. In the 80’s slump, the entire
11-blocks of N. Lombard was de-
serted, dark and gloomy by 6pm
with the exception of the bars.
There was practically no place
to get food that wasn’t a bar and
no positive street life. There were
open drug deals. It was a bit scary
to walk your dog in the business
district in the evening. When one
local developer enticed Starbucks
to open a store on Lombard,peo-
ple thought he was crazy and that
it couldn’t survive.
But by 2007-8, brave entrepre-
neurs had staked claim to store-
fronts and new creative enterpris-
es had forged a stable presence
and attracted residents’ notice
and loyalty. There was Anna Ba-
nanna’s, It’s a Dog’s Life, Blue
Moon Camera, Tre Bone, and
others. Some longtime businesses
had persevered through it all and
continued to thrive, but there were
still vacancies, negative activities,
neglected storefronts.
The St. Johns Lombard Plan had
just been completed a few years
prior and brought more awareness
about the potential for develop-
ment, the positive “bones” of the
Main Street, N. Lombard, its des-
ignation as “pedestrian district”
and “town center.” At the time
new investment was only a distant
dream. Up to then, practically the
only development concepts prof-
fered were concentrated low-in-
come housing located in the town
center. Those tended to be contro-
versial and were rejected by the
community.
Now with the Plan in place, activ-
ists and business owners gathered
to talk about how a Main Street
project, sponsored by the city,
might serve to attract more stores,
help stabilize the businesses we
had, preserve town center char-
acter, create an attractive destina-
tion, develop better safety, as well
as promote a better image for the
neighborhood. Chief organizers of
the informal grassroots gathering
were, Robin Plance of SJNA, and
Ryan Diebert and Lorelei Jutenen,
SJNA land use chairs. Participants
included Sarah Anderson of Anna
Banannas, Carol Ellis of Tre Bone,
myself and many others who met
over coffee at Angel’s Ladybug
Organic Cafe to discuss a plan.
We learned that the “Main Street
Approach advocates a return to
community self reliance and local
empowerment. The organizational
model is based on building broad
based community support and tap-
ping the collective wisdom of part-
ners, with volunteers serving on a
Board of Directors, and four com-
mittees: • Design, • Economic De-
velopment, • Promotion and • Or-
ganization” (Portland Main Street
Design Handbook, pg. 2, pdc.us).
All local advocates expressed
a strong desire to preserve and en-
hance the historic character of the
town center while encouraging in-
vestment. Communities generally
go in one of two directions real es-
tate-wise, either toward improve-
ment or decay. The Main Street
program offered a way to move
in a positive direction while main-
taining St. Johns’ control through
local board members—something
that was extremely important to
the advocates.
In 2009, community advocates
were elated to learn that St. Johns
was chosen for a Main Street des-
ignation in a competitive process.
The achievement was due to hard
work in convincing city partners
of local support and potential, It
was one of three new Main Streets
prioritized based not only on lo-
cal interest and potential, but lag-
ging commercial investment and
a higher concentration of minori-
ty-owned or neighborhood-serv-
ing businesses. Along with St.
Johns, NE Alberta, Hilllsdale were
chosen.
Many positive things have hap-
pened in the town center since
then. How has the program affect-
ed the neighborhood? How has the
vision and mission of the St. Johns
Main Street project changed since
2009? Part 2 to be continued in the
next issue of the St. Johns Review.
For more information see:
stjohnsmainstreet.org.
Answers to Puzzle on
Page 7
L OCAL O PPORTUNITIES & E VENTS
St. Johns Volunteer Fair to
connect residents with
local volunteer opportunities
The 2nd annual St. Johns Volun-
teer Fair is set for Thursday, Febru-
ary 4 from 6pm-8pm at Los Prados
Event Hall, 10105 N. Lombard. This
free, family-friendly event, hosted
by St. Johns Main Street and the St.
Johns Neighborhood Association,
will give community members the
opportunity to learn about a diverse
array of local volunteer opportu-
nities. Childcare will be provided,
along with live music, kid’s activi-
ties, free snacks and a raffl e. Com-
munity groups and nonprofi ts can
register for a table to share their vol-
unteer needs and the great work they
do through this short online form
http://goo.gl/forms/fpzpXm87dB or
by calling 503-841-5522.
========================
Lead Poisoning
Prevention Workshop
with Community Energy
Project
Feb. 16, 2016 from 7-8pm
St. Johns Community Center:
Room 1
8427 N Central St, Portland, OR
97203
North Portland has some of the
highest concentrations of older
housing stock that may have been
painted with lead paint. This free
workshop will discuss the health
effects and common sources of lead
exposure, basic prevention mea-
sures, and resources for additional
help to eliminate lead poisoning. El-
igible participants receive free kits
of lead poisoning prevention mate-
rials, including lead-safe cleaning
supplies and testing materials. For
more information, call Ryan at 503-
284-6827 x109.
=========================
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Review at:
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=========================
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