M ay
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31, 1995 • T he
P ortland O bserver
Walnut
Park: Mayor
Says More
To Come
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Continued from M etro
Mayor Vera Katz and Richard
Brown were special dignitaries at
the Walnut Park opening.
Members of the Humboldt school drill team and choir performed at Saturday’s
festivities.
Attending the celebration were (from left) Cart
Talton o f the Portland Development Commission,
Don Currie and Valerie Curhe.
Mother Dear's Tasty Pastries
owner Anorvia Hardy of the
Walnut Park Center with Lou
Boston of the Arena Project.
Rep. Margaret Carter. D-Portland,
Walnut Park Retail Center state e<
its best.
Photos by Duane Lewis
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Oregon lottery funds to partially fi­
nance the Walnut Park project.
She recalled the extensive legis­
lative efforts made to win approval.
“Being here with you today is
the combination of several years of
dogging the establishment to let them
know that northeast Portland couldn ’ t
take it anymore," Carter recalled.
PDC commissioner and chair of
the center’s leasing, Carl Talton re­
called the controversies that sur­
rounded how the site should be de­
veloped to meet the needs o f the
community.
“But this controversy had a posi­
tive effect by elevating the interest,
the visibility and the commitment
and allowing us to reconfirm our
objectives," Talton said.
He added that what should be
remembered about the retail park is
that seven community business own­
ers have been given a chance to grow
and succeed.
Speaking on behalf o f the King
Neighborhood A ssociation, Fred
Stewart observed that the construc­
tion of Walnut Park has sent a new
feeling of confidence throughout the
neighborhood.
There is a renewed sense that
north/northeast is a good place to do
business,” Stewart stressed.
The city purchased the vacant
Walnut Park Fred Meyer store in
1993 and directed the Portland De­
velopment Commission to assist its
redevelopment.
The Walnut project gulped about
$1 million from the city’s Bureau of
Housing and Community services
and $1.5 million from the city’s gen­
eral funds.
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Hundreds o f people enjoyed the center's grand opening at the comer o f northeast KiHingworth
and Martin Luther King Jr.
King Neighborhood President Fred Stewart (f
Police Precinct Commander Bruce Prunk and
Richard Brown at the opening o f Walnut Park
Duane Washington, one of “The
Buffalo Soldiers’ attending the
center's opening.