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February 5, 2014
Back to the Table
c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 3
Joe's, w e understand, and w e w on't
open the store in question," the state
m ent said.
The Portland O bserver reported
on the controversy surrounding the
PD C deal back in N ovem ber. Term s
provided for a $2.4 m illion break on
the cost o f the property and space
for 4 to 10 other businesses and 100
surface parking spaces.
PD C Social Equity Director, John
J a c k le y ,
a c k n o w le d g e d
gentrification in north and northeast
Portland as “prim ary issues” for the
city o f Portland at the time, but de
nied claim s by som e A frican A m eri-
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can com m unity m em bers, leaders,
and organizations that a Trader Jo e ’s
addition w ould play any role in fur
ther displacem ent.
M em bers o f the local civil and
social engagem ent group, Portland
A frican A m erican Leadership Fo
rum (PA A LF), held a pre-scheduled
press conference M onday at the
developm ent site, com ing ju st after
Trader Jo e ’s had w ithdraw n from the
project.
Tony H opson, form er Sen. Avel
G ordly, Steven G illiam , M axine
Fitzpatrick, and other m em bers o f
PA A LF, spoke at M onday’s press
conference. Fitzpatrick, also execu
tive director o f the non-profit hous
ing provider, Portland C om m unity
R einvestm ent Initiatives, presented
a list o f dem ands o f behalf o f PAALF.
It called for readily available and
accessible num bers and details on
econom ic developm ent spending in
the Interstate and O regon C onven
tion C enter U rban R enew al Areas,
and the creation o f a “V anport Small
Business A ssistance Fund” to sup
port the small businesses that have
set-up shop in and around V anport
Square.
Lastly, the activists w ant a legally
en fo rceab le c o m m u n ity benefits
agreem ent, negotiated by an inde
p e n d e n t c o m m u n ity -c o n tro lle d
body that w ould ensure the em ploy
ment o f African-Americans and other
disadvantaged com m unity m em bers
in construction jo b s as well as em
ploym ent in new ly established busi
n e sse s.
PA A L F asserted that their con
cerns and dem ands w ere “never
about Trader Joes,” but about stop
ping the further D iaspora o f blacks in
the city, and providing affordable
housing options for people o f color
and others to return to the neighbor
hood.
M ayor Charlie Hales and the PDC
issued a jo in t statem ent that called
the Trader Jo e ’s pull out a “loss for
the city and particularly northeast
Portland.”
T he city officials said they will
soon be in talks w ith all the stake
holders in the neighborhood, but
cannot say w hat will com e next for
the site. The b rief letter also con
tained a nod to local A frican-A m eri
can ow ned construction com pany
C olas C onstruction w ho had just
been nam ed last w eek as the general
contractor for the T rader Jo e ’s con
struction.
The Portland O bserver attem pted
to reach the ow ner o f C olas C on
struction, A ndrew Colas, for com
m ent but our phone call was not
im m ediately returned.
T w o ow ners o f n earby b u si
nesses, Tulas, a bakery, and the
haircare store Living C olor Beauty
Supply, said they w ere looking for
ward to having the increased foot
traffic from a grocery store, but un
derstood the com m unity’s concerns
that the developm ent could also dis
place more families.