Neighborhood News

Dear Portland Friends, Colleagues & Community Organizations,

The last time the City of Portland created a fresh community engagement framework was 1974. Nearly 50 years later, Portland’s population has doubled and faces livability, safety, and affordability concerns. 

The Office of Community & Civic Life’s Portland Engagement Project (PEP) is the opportunity for all Portlanders to help evolve our city’s engagement model to solve issues today and into the future. 

The first step of this project is listening—YOU are the most valuable part of this project, and we want to hear your ideas!

From now until April 30, our independent consultant Pregame is hosting virtual listening sessions across Portland to hear from as many Portlanders as we can. If you are unable to make a listening session, you can host your own with our DIY Kit or complete an online survey (find out more below).

In closing, I would like to extend a big thank you to all of the district offices who contributed to designing this listening project with Pregame. We hope to see you at a listening session!

Kind Regards, 
T.J. McHugh
Acting Director, Office of Community & Civic Life

Sign up for a listening session!

Friday, March 24, 12:00PM – 1:00PM
All Portlanders Listening Session
Sign up here!

Monday, March 27, 6:00PM – 7:00PM
SW Portlanders Listening Session
Sign up here!

Monday, April 3, 6:00PM – 7:00PM
North Portlanders Listening Session
Sign up here!

Tuesday, April 4, 4:30PM – 5:30PM
Lideres Verde Listening Session
Sign up here!

Tuesday, April 4, 6:30PM – 7:30PM
East Portlanders Listening Session hosted by Wilkes Community Group
Sign up here!

Wednesday, April 5, 6:00PM – 7:00PM
All Portlanders Listening Session
Sign up here!

Monday, April 10, 6:00PM – 7:00PM
NE Portlanders Listening Session
Sign up here!

Wednesday, April 12, 6:00PM – 7:00PM
All Portlanders Listening Session
Sign up here!

Saturday, April 15, 12:00PM – 1:00PM
Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods Listening Session
Sign up here!

Wednesday, April 19, 6:00PM – 7:00PM
All Portlanders Listening Session
Sign up here!

Friday, April 21, 12:00PM – 1:00PM
All Portlanders Listening Session
Sign up here!

Wednesday, April 26, 6:00PM – 7:00PM
All Portlanders Listening Session
Sign up here!

Can’t make a listening session? Lead your own!

We have created a do-it-yourself kit to help Portlanders lead and collect ideas from their community. Learn more about how to host your own listening session and download the kit here: DIY Listening Session Kit

Share your ideas through the online survey!

The survey takes less than five minutes to complete, and your response is anonymous. All the ideas gathered will be compiled after the survey closes on April 30, and then a report will be available to the public through Civic Life in July. Take the survey here!

What is the Portland Engagement Project? 

The Portland Engagement Project brings the City, community-based organizations, neighborhood associations, and individual Portlanders together to build proactive engagement structures in order to reduce social vulnerability and livability issues, restore trust, and support our communities to thrive. 

There are five main components of PEP that will help the City design an equitable engagement model to address civic issues and build stronger relationships with the community. This process brings together best practices from engagement experts and community leaders, dedicated City engagement staff, and robust demographic data from the 2020 Census and other sources to build a better system for all Portlanders.

We hope you will join us in building and engagement model that works to solve issues today and into the future!

For more information about the Portland Engagement Project, please visit the City’s website: www.portland.gov/civic/portland-engagement-project.

Lower SE Rising Area Plan

The Lower SE Rising Area Plan, led by Bureau of Planning & Sustainability and the Bureau of Transportation, addresses multimodal connectivity and transit access through transportation and land use changes in Brentwood-Darlington and portions of Mt. Scott-Arleta, Woodstock, and Lents. The area plan is a land use review and transportation planning effort already underway.

View the online open house and materials online. Project staff are seeking community input to guide healthy community development. Questions about the area plan? Email project leads or attend the February board meeting of Mt. Scott-Arleta Neighborhood Association to provide feedback. Details are available after the link. The recommended plan goes before City Council in early 2023.

New Holgate Library in 2024

Construction for the new Holgate Library is underway. The new building will sit on the existing site, be three times larger than the current branch, and occupy 21,000 square feet. The branch will feature large play and learning spaces for children, multiple meeting rooms, dedicated teen room, updated technology and internet, outdoor plaza for community members, local representative art, rooftop solar panels and enhanced curbside features on SE Holgate. The project is anticipated to be complete in 2024.

The MSANA Board issued a letter of support for the required land use review and applauds the extensive community engagement and outreach conducted. Library guests are encouraged to visit nearby branches (Woodstock, Midland, and Belmont) during construction. Questions about library capital projects? Email libraryspaces@multcolib.org.

SE Carlton and 72nd Sewer Project

Construction on the SE Carlton and 72nd Sewer Project began this week and is anticipated to last up to four months. Work crews will begin preliminary work to install more than 600 feet of sewer pipes. Open trench excavations are necessary to replace existing pipes that in excess of 100 years old. Two new maintenance access holes on Carlton and 28 lateral pipes will be installed. Once work is complete on Carlton work crews will move onto 72nd Ave sometime in February. The project will protect the Willamette River Watershed and reduce the risk of sewer pipe leaks. Sign up for project updates. Questions about the SE Carlton and 72nd Sewer Project? Email Cheryl Kuck, Community Outreach at Environmental Services.

Mt. Scott Community Center Seismic Retrofit and Expansion

Mt. Scott Community Center will be undergoing an expansion and seismic retrofit beginning in late 2023. You may have seen the signs around Mt. Scott Park announcing the planned expansion or read about it last year. The pool and gym will remain with an improved roof and HVAC system. What’s new is an open lobby, an event hall, updated aerobic and fitness class spaces, flexible meeting rooms, new kitchen with training and instruction opportunities, technology upgrades, seismic updates, an increase in trees and vegetation, and more. The community center is scheduled to close at the end of 2023 and will reopen in 2025. Sign up for project updates and enjoy the community center while its open. Questions about the Mt. Scott Seismic Retrofit and Expansion? Email Marlo Medellin, Capital Project Manager at Portland Parks.

73Foster

The 73Foster project is a multi-unit housing development located at 7330 SE Foster that aims to provide affordable and permanent supportive housing for families and people with disabilities living on lower incomes. The project will have 22 units of Permanent Supportive Housing and 42 affordable housing units in total.

In addition to the housing units, the project will also offer a range of programming and amenities to its residents, including on-site case management services, resident services, food pantry, community room, on-site laundry rooms, courtyard seating area, lobby lounge area, and high energy efficiency for low utilities. The design of the project is also accessible to people of all abilities. Construction is anticipated to be complete in 2025. Sign up for email updates.