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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 2018)
Black is Beautiful ‘City of Roses’ Volume XLVII • Number 35 Public art project draws on positive messages Reducing the Risk of Stroke Legacy Emanuel hits milestone with ‘Watchman’ implant See story, page 5 See Local News, page 3 www.portlandobserver.com Wednesday • September 5, 2018 Established in 1970 Committed to Cultural Diversity photo by D anny p eterson /t he p ortlanD o bserver Tony DeFalco, deputy director of the nonprofit Verde organization, a group rooted in helping low-income communities in Portland, and Kimberly Branam, executive director of Prosper Portland, the city’s economic development arm, oversee plans to develop 32 acres of prime Pearl District real estate for new housing and retail development, dubbed the Broadway Corridor. Trying to Get it Right A Jobs and justice mandate for Broadway development b everly C orbell t he p ortlanD o bserver by It’s no secret that Portland has misman- aged economic and residential develop- ment in the past and caused the diaspora of much of its African American community. But now the city is taking a different tact, and forming an agreement with a coalition of nonprofits to work with the developer and the city to determine the scope of a major downtown development. Dubbed the Broadway Corridor, 32 acres of prime Pearl District real estate purchased by the city for $88 million for new housing and retail development, will be governed by a Community Benefits Agreement, or CPA to make sure the proj- ect benefits Portland’s diverse and disad- vantaged populations. When Prosper Portland, the city’s de- velopment arm, held a recent open house about the property, which includes Union Station and the 14-acre Main Post Office distribution center, members of the Healthy Communities Coalition packed the room and made their voices heard. The city listened, and the developer, Continuum Partners of Denver, and the coalition will share input on the aspects of the development that will include at least one high-rise building with retail shops and thousands of new apartments. Details to be agreed on include the num- ber of low-income and disabled accessible housing units, on-site affordable day care, free public transit passes, jobs creation, and more that will be spelled out in the coming months, said Tony DeFalco, deputy direc- tor of the nonprofit Verde, an organization C ontinueD on p age 15