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A p ril 5. 2006
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Final Touches on New Columbia
Renewed neighborhood
rounds off its first year
by S arah B lount
T he P ortland O bserver
When the Housing Authority of
Portland set out to revitalize Co
lumbia Villa, everyone waited to
see what would become of what
was tagged Portland’s only ghetto.
Three years later, construction
at New Columbia is nearing an end,
and neighbors who once occupied
barracks-style bui Idings return to a
suburbanesque community with
young trees planted in front of
freshly built homes.
Revamping New Columbia was
an experiment for the Housing
Authority. Portland’s first large-
scale, mixed-income community is
part of many others nationwide,
awarded funds from the depart
ment of Housing and Urban Devel
opment HOPE VI grant, a project to
revitalize aging public housing.
There was significant risk in
volved in uprooting and relocating
nearly 1,300 residents, while they
bulldozed their dilapidated, con
crete neighborhood and pumped
$153 million into an ideally inte
grated and welcoming community.
A place where, as you walk down
the tree-lined street to the park,
public housing doesn’t look much
different than privately owned
homes.
Mike Andrews, the person re
sponsible for development at New
Columbia, said the housing author
ity is preparing the final touches on
New Columbia, which turns a year
old this May.
They look forward to a busy
summer with work on the commer
cial corridor called Main Street
(North Trenton Avenue). The ex
isting University Park and new
McCoy Park will anchor a future
coffee shop and small grocer. The
main street also houses a 66-unit
senior apartment complex, a learn
ing center, boys and girls club and
an elementary school under con
struction.
Leslie Esinga was hired by the
housing authority to bring families
together - through events like movie
nights and musicals, dispute reso
lution. Esinga strives for a close-
knit feeling among residents, but
wants to attract people from out
side the neighborhood as well.
Housing authority spokesper
son Shelley Marchesi reported
overwhelmingly positive feedback
from residents. Many have con
firmed that they’re getting the com-
homebuilders to finish by March
2007.
After that point. New Columbia
will beadiverse collection of people,
from differing econom ic back
grounds and ethnicities, much like
any other Portland neighborhood.
How well it fares will be the true test
of this Portland experiment.
Franklin Bautista (left) and
Jorge Prez work on the rapid
development at New Columbia
in north Portland. The Portland
Development Commission said
residential construction is well
under way, with completion by
March 2007.
munity spirit they aimed for, and
one homeowner told her it takes
him 30 minutes to walk three blocks
from the park to his home because
he stops to chat so often.
Initial critics of the project feared
the housing authority would sim
ply lose track of previous public
housing occupants, who would be
left with no support system.
Portland learned from the mis
takes of HOPE VI projects around
the country, and conveniently scru
tinized the efforts of our neighbor
Seattle, which has undergone sev
eral projects.
Andrews said construction of
556 housing authority-controlled
units would be complete by Octo
ber, and they exp ect private
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Publicly Funded Candidates
Officially Join Council Race
continued
from Front
neighborhood activist considers her
self an experienced outsider, an at
tribute she says is missing on the
current City Counci I.
She prom ises to strengthen
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schools, and pledges to perpetuate
the openness of city government
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proach, fostered by Mayor Potter.
E m ily B oyles is a n o th e r
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than 20 years experience in non
profits. She’s surfaced as the can
didate for Portland's Russian and
Slavic communities. Boyles, who
lives in outer Southeast Portland,
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to help low-income, disabled and
immigrant communities.
Erik Sten is running for a fourth
term on the Council, and is the
candidate with the highest profile.
He is associated with the notorious
Portland Aerial Tram and misman
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Sten is also known as the council's
busiest homeless advocate, and
with City Auditor Gary Blackmer
authored the campaign finance pro
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cuses on affordable housing, end
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Meet with the Mayor and City Council:
This is the perfect time to
Community Budget Forums
refinance, with no closing
Take part in the budget process!
Saturday April 8, 10:00 AM - Noon
■ Focus: Budget Team Recommendations-
St. Andrew's Gym / 806 NE Alberta
www.portlandonline.com/communitvbudget
Budget Hearing: Thursday, May l lth
6:30 pm-8:30pm
Location: MLC Auditorium 2033 NW Glisan
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