February 14, 2018
Page 5
Envision Best Use for Russell Block
Open House
to hear hopes,
concerns and
aspirations
A diverse group of community
representatives tasked with lead-
ing the visioning and develop-
ment process for the Hill Block
project at North Russell Street
and North Williams Avenue will
hold an open house and informa-
tion session on Tuesday, Feb. 20,
from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at nearby
New Song Community Church to
collect feedback from community
members regarding their hopes,
concerns, and aspirations for the
property.
The city of Portland and Leg-
acy Health announced plans to
develop the property last summer
and the upcoming event will mark
the transition of project steward-
ship from institutional partners
to the community-based Project
Working Group.
The block is located within an
area that Prosper Portland and the
City of Portland condemned in the
early 1970s under urban renewal
for an expansion of the hospital
campus, displacing 171 families,
Envisioning the best future use of this vacant lot next to Legacy Emanuel Hospital on North Rusell and Williams Avenue, a property that
was once the center of black life in Portland but has stood idle for decades, will be the reason for an open house to collect community
feedback on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at the nearby New Song Community Church.
74 percent of which were African
American.
The focus of the new devel-
opment is to honor Portland’s
African-American
community,
support community housing and
economic needs, and further Leg-
acy Health’s mission of promoting
health and wellness for children
and families.
“This is a historic opportunity
to acknowledge the mistakes of
the past and learn from diverse
voices, expertise and vision to
deliver a project that honors the
African American community
and fosters opportunity for wealth
creation, ” said Prosper Portland
Executive Director Kimberly Bra-
nam.
Dr. George Brown, president
and chief executive officer of
Legacy Health, said, “In look-
ing ahead at Legacy’s needs and
the community’s needs, as well
as looking at what opportunities
Prosper Portland and the City of
Portland can offer, I am excep-
tionally pleased that we can be a
part of what I believe will be a his-
toric partnership.”
Nominations to the Project
Working Group involved outreach
to more than 20 organizations and
community groups and focused
on racial and generational diversi-
ty and a broad set of perspectives
and skills.
The Project Working Group
will oversee a year-long visioning
and development process that is
meant ensure a transparent, com-
munity-serving project, officials
said.