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Empty store fronts like this one once lined Alberta Street.
Now the revitalized cultural neighborhood boasts dozens of
restaurants, coffee shops, botiques and galleries.
Emma Gaston has lived above Joe s Place since 1978. She has seen first hand the transformation o f Alberta Street and likes
what she sees, but worries that African American businesses and renters may eventually be pushed out.
PHOTO BY W YNDE D y ER/T h E PORTLAND OBSERVER
photo by D avid P lechl /T he P ortland O bserver
ALBERTA STREET Tapestry
'
continued
in Transition
from Front
munity.
Petry once thought that the busi
“M oving is terrible,” she said. “I
Fondren does not want to see nesses on Alberta would be ca
wish I could stay here.”
Alberta Street develop into another pable o f addressing the employ
Jones says the dilemma is mostly Northwest 23rd. Neither do the Sis ment needs of local African Ameri
a "class issue" but race ties in be ters in Action.
cans, but said those businesses are
cause many people of low income
Jones thinks that if the course of staffed by owners too busy think
are people o f color. Those people, progress isn’t checked, the demo ing about their own survival.
she said, won’t be able to afford graphics along Alberta may become
“Hawthorne has done it,” he said.
A lberta’s rising rents and cost of very sim ilar to their neighbors “They have a few corporations and
housing.
across the river.
they haven’t destroyed the neigh
Even Fondren said houses that
“I don’t want to imagine that,” borhood. Grassroots in and o f itself
cost $ 130,00just a few years ago are she said. “All the people o f color - cannot be the answer, we need jobs
priced at $197,000. But he is okay would be gone,
here.”
with the increase as long as some
But Reggie Petry, an African
Petry points to the success of
affordable stock is still available.
American owner of the Alberta Arts the New Seasons Market on North
He disagrees that minority busi Pavilion, a gallery and community east 33rd Avenue. He thinks they
nesses are being displaced, calling space at 2315 N.E. Alberta thinks have done a pretty good job of
Alberta one o f the most diverse 23rd might not be far off, and might being good neighbors by hiring a
communities in Portland.
not be a bad idea after all.
diverse staff.
“We have African American,
Petry agrees that people o f color
"W hen you walk in there you
Hispanic, and Korean businesses,” who live in the community should see a pretty good blend of people,”
Fondren said. “The mom-and-pop have employment opportunities he said.
establishments still have a chance along Alberta and that is why he
Though even Petry agrees that
over here.”
M ----------------
once the flo o d
He is con-
gates are open, the
c e r n e d ,
ideal course of de
though, about
velopment might
outside inves
be hard to manage.
tors coming to
“ T h e re i s n ’t
Alberta to get
yet a strategy that
rich quick. He
is
in n o v a tiv e
thinks their in
e n o u g h to su p
terests m ight
port cultural in
betray the inter
tegrity and eco
e sts o f th e
nom ic d e v e lo p
people that live
- Camille Kent of Sisters in Action for Power ’ m ent, all at the
and w ork on
sam e tim e ,” he
Alberta.
thinks economic development that said.
“Some people are coming strictly opens its doors to bigger busi
Jo e ’s Place is the only black
to invest,” said Fondren. “That nesses would create more jobs for ow ned tavern in O regon and has
worries me a little.”
African Americans in the area.
been an icon on A lberta for years.
Fondren said that although
“M aybe outside corporations
Em m a G aston has been a b ar
progress can’t be stopped, hope aren’t such a bad idea,” he said. ten d er there on and o ff and has
fully it can be guided with smart “Maybe a M cDonald’s or a Gap lived upstairs from the bar since
growth that keeps locals employed should be given a green light to 1978. She th in k s the ch an g e on
, and rents affordable.
placement on Alberta Street.”
A lb erta is good, but adds th at
He said Sabin CDC has scooped
Those businesses, he argues, re v ita liz a tio n has com e w ith a
up apartm ents, houses and du are traditionally more financially price.
plexes along Alberta to rehabilitate se c u re and th e re fo re b e tte r
“We are one o f the only black
and make more affordable to low equipped to hire greater numbers ow ned businesses still h ere,”
income families.
o f people.
Gaston said.
Fondren and others have been
“I d on’t think w e’re getting a lot
Shorty Gilliam lives just down
adam ant about p reserving the o f employment for people of color the street from Joe’s Place and
multiculturalism and down home with the businesses that are cur comes in just about everyday to
flavor of the Alberta business com- rently on Alberta,” Petry said.
play pool. He is taking the new look
A lot o f people say revitalization
is good fo r the community, but a lot
o f people are being displaced by
revitalization. People from higher
incomes are benefiting. People from
lower incomes aren’t.
Dora Montgomery has been cutting hair at her small shop on Alberta for over seven years. She
says the rising cost o f rent on the street is making it hard for her to stay in business. “I can't
afford six or seven hundred a month for a place along Alberta. " she said.
photo by D avid P lechl /TH e P ortland O bserver
and changing atmosphere along
Alberta all in stride.
“ Its g re a t the w ay they are
building up the s tre e t,” he said.
revitalization.
"Y ou’re not ever going to stop
that,” he explained. “Everything
goes up but the wages."
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