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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 2017)
Page 26 Minority & Small Business Week State Farm R Affordable Leasing C ontinueD froM p age 9 Michael E Harper Agent Providing Insurance and Financial Services Home Office, Bloomingon, Illinois 61710 We are located at: 9713 S.W. Capitol, Portland, OR 503-221-3050 • Fax 503-227-8757 michael.harper.cuik@statefarm.com tion, a black-owned contractor from northeast Portland. Natural Grocers is the “anchor tenant,” and they plan on having a grand opening around Febru- ary. Prosper Portland hopes to fill the remaining spaces in Alberta Commons by spring. Wicks said tenant applications Equity and Inclusion C ontinueD froM p age 3 C annon ’ s r ib e xpress 5410 NE 33rd Ave, Portland, Or Call to Order: 503-288-3836 Open (hours) Sun-Thurs: 11a-8p Fri-Sat: 11a- 9p Cannon’s, tasty food and friendly neighborhood atmosphere. are currently being screened based on four criteria: Business owners who are underrepresent- ed in the business community, like women or people of color; businesses that will be “active destination uses” that bring a lot of foot traffic to the area; busi- nesses that have a solid business plan; and business owners who have multiple years of experi- ence in their field. Once the hotel is built, a First Opportunity Target Area program for residents in selected zip codes of north and northeast Portland will allow for economically dis- advantaged people to apply first for eligible jobs at the Oregon Convention Center and other public facilities Metro operates in the city. Hyatt has agreed to re- cruit from within the same target area. The convention hotel project is almost 30 years in the making. Equity has become an import- ant piece of the puzzle for both October 4, 2017 “Tenanting is more of an art than a science. So a lot of this [is] finding the tenants, finding the synergy, where it fits for them,” Campbell said. “We really want to be conscientious of curating space that provides some unique amenities for the community or ones that have been sorely miss- ing.” To learn more and fill out an application on the Alberta Com- mons Affordable Commercial Tenanting Program, visit pros- perportland/us. Mortenson and Hyatt, especially as they build in a Rose Quarter and Lloyd District neighborhood that was gentrified. “Homes were taken and that wealth does not get easily re- placed, if replaced at all, so we have to be strong in our commit- ment to make sure that econom- ically diverse communities get a chance to have a crack at work,” Collymore said. Mike Clifford, construction executive at Mortenson, echoed that sentiment. “We want this to be a project for the community, by the community,” he said. Because the hotel is both a pub- lic and private project, it makes for an opportunity to be beneficial for everyone involved, according to the supporters. On the private side, Hyatt has a chance to oper- ate a successful hotel, and on the public side, the Convention Cen- ter has a chance to generate more business and thus enhance the lo- cal economy. “This project should be the tide that raises all boats,” Clifford said. “It’s going to be a catalyst for the Lloyd District, and we look at this as being something that should be a big boon for just about everybody.” Added Collymore, “The eco- nomic success of people of color, or low-income folks, or women, is the economic success of the en- tire community.”
