WELCOME TO feature: PDC’S NEW MONTHLY PUBLICATIONPDC’s feature: is a monthly newsletter that aims to update and inform the community on what is happening around the city. Eachedition will highlight various programs, projects and initiatives taking place in the city’s 11 urban renewal areas. The updates willcover activities happening in our Central City, Neighborhood and Business and Industry departments. We will also spotlightadditional special projects we think may be of interest to the public. The online version of the publication will be available atwww.pdc.us/feature:. Online articles will link you to more in-depth information. If you would rather receive only the online copy,please e-mail powersc@pdc.us. You will be removed from the print mailing list and sent an email notification with a link to thenewest edition of feature: .

Main Street Program kick-off

Nearly 100 people attended the kick-off meeting for the Portland MainStreet Program on Thursday, January 14, 2010, at Friendship MasonicCenter in Northeast Portland. The new initiative offers opportunities for alimited number of groups interested in forming a Main Street organization

focused on their neighborhood business district to receive both financial andtechnical assistance intended to help build the organizational capacity necessary to revital-ize their neighborhood commercial areas. The Main Street program will have partial finan-cial support from the city’s General Fund, and is closely tied to the Portland Economic

Development Strategy, which calls out com-mercial district revitalization as a key objective. The program is a provenmodel developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s MainStreet Center, known as the “Four Point Approach,” which focuses on or-ganization, promotion, design, and economic restructuring of neighborhoodbusiness districts. Portland’sprogram will add an emphasis on sustainability to the National Trust’sfour points.

Interested communities must apply through a competitive process thatbegins in February 2010. Each district selected will receive considerablefinancial and technical assistance and intensive training. The goal is foreach new Main Street organization to embrace and promote its district’sunique assets, while also capitalizing on the abilities of residents, businessowners, and volunteers who work and live in the business district. Manda-tory training sessions for such groups took place on February 2-3.

Kenton open for business during construction

PDC’s support of community economic development applies as well to infrastructure projects like the Kenton business dis-trict streetscape work. The district’s main thoroughfare, Denver Avenue, is currently undergoing a $3 million face lift tocreate a more accessible and lively downtown strip. All of the businesses remain open during construction. The area haswelcomed several new business arrivals and/or owners in the last year, including Posies Café on Denver Avenue; and theHome Brew Exchange, Queen Mab clothing store, and The Black Door Gallery, all on Kilpatrick. The new Kenton CommonsCreative Spaces, one block west of the business district on Kenton Park at Brandon and Willis, is home to Olivine ArtGallery; Portland Chiropractic Care and Natural Health, Skylight Massage, Stella’s Barbershop, Jasmine Photography, In-trinsic Marketing, Essential Skin Therapy and Your Wisdom Worx, while the Kenton Antiques shop on Denver is now undernew ownership. Artist collective and gallery Disjecta has moved to Kenton as well, at Interstate and Denver. Tidal, a newexhibition by visual artist Jenene Nagy, opened on January 22. To promote shopping, dining and strolling through the his-toric North Portland neighborhood, the Kenton Business Association initiated Third Thursday events, which began last sum-mer and showcase the neighborhood’s art, food, and music scene. Visit www.Kentonthirdthursday.com for moreinformation.

feature:

Main street andstreetscapes –

improvingcommunities

PPOORRTTLLAANNDDD E V E L O P M E N T C O M M I S S I O N

Neighborhoods

Photos left to right: North Denver Avenue is open for

business. PDC partners receive greengrants to promote green tech and green

jobs. Jaime Ramos is profiled inPDC’s annual Diversity Report.

Posies Café on North Denver Avenuein the Kenton Business District opened

for business in summer 2009.

www.pdc.us/mainstreet

Outdoor industry's first Eco Indexgets PDC support

A $10,000 grant from PDC will allowthe Outdoor Industry Association(OIA) to finalize the development ofthe association's Outdoor Product

Environmental Leadership Standard(OPELS) project, a family of environmentalleadership standards for outdoor productsscheduled to debut in August 2010. Thegrant responds to the industry’s desire tomore clearly define “green” and “sustain-able” and leverages the efforts of severalPortland companies committed to environ-mental responsibility. The Phase 1 EcoIndex, scheduled to be released at OutdoorRetailer Summer Market 2010, will includeguidelines for packaging, product manufac-turing and materials used in outdoor prod-ucts as well as tools for measuringgreenhouse gas emissions, water andwaste. The initial Index will be open forbeta testing by global brands. The final EcoIndex will be released in winter 2011. OIAhas also announced plans to develop acompanion tool focusing on fair labor prac-tices and recently opened collaborationwith the European Outdoor Group to ensureglobal adoption of the index. OIA held apanel discussion January 22 at Outdoor Re-tailer Winter Market 2010 featuring prod-uct designers from major brands discussingthe practical use and business case relatedto the adoption of the Packaging and Mate-rial Guidelines. In 2008 PDC provided agrant of $30,000 to initiate the project

funding which en-abled OIA to usePortland-basedZero Waste Alliance as theworking group'sproject managerfor the develop-ment of theindex.

The Eco-Index isone of several ac-tivewear-relatedinitiatives thatsupport this in-dustry cluster,one of the four

called out in the city’s economic develop-ment strategy as critical to the region’s joband economic growth.

Green jobs grant goes to PDC partners

Worksystems Inc. (WSI) and Oregon Man-ufacturing Extension Partnership (OMEP)were recently notified that they will receivea $5 million Department of Labor “GreenJobs” grant – one of only 25 awarded

nationwide. The grant willfund a project called Renew-able Northwest (ReNW),which will preserve and cre-ate more than 1,700 jobsin a nine-county region inthe renewable energy in-dustry by building askilled workforce tosupport companiesthat generate powerand by assisting localmanufacturers withworkforce retrain-ing to produceproducts in sup-port of the indus-try. Participantswill earn cer-tificates anddegreeswhich meetindustry and state-defined standards. PDC has been workingwith WSI, OMEP and other partners to iden-tify opportunities for local manufacturers tofill supply chain gaps and replace importedcomponents for the clean tech industry.

In addition, WSI received a $4 million “Path-ways Out of Poverty” grant to fund workforceprograms that help disadvantaged popula-tions find ways out of poverty and into eco-nomic self-sufficiency through careers inenergy efficiency and renewable energy in-dustries. The guiding principle for the grant isequity, and providing all people access totraining to prepare them for living wage jobsin the green economy. The funds will be usedto provide skill training and culturally specificsupport to disadvantaged individuals to pre-pare them to enter careers in the energy-effi-cient building, construction and retrofit,renewable electric power, green manufactur-ing, and emerging green occupations. Partici-pants will earn certificates and degreesthrough community colleges, organized labor,and industry-recognized training providers,and will receive employment placement andretention support in their chosen green careerpathway.

City of Portland, PDC launch new“Business Portland” web site

The city of Portland has launched a newonline resource for Portland businesses, BusinessPortland (www.portland4biz.com), a web sitethat brings together resources to helpPortland businesses grow and prosper.

“This is our electronic welcome mat forbusinesses that are already here and needhelp or want to expand, and for busi-nesses thinking of locating here,” saidMayor Sam Adams. “The city wants to doeverything it can to ensure that entrepre-neurs and business owners succeed here

inPortland. This website is one more way we're seekingto add value for the business community.”

Developed by the city of Portland andPDC, Business Portland will ultimately bethe go-to resource for local companies tofind information related to business assis-tance – financing, incentives for businessdevelopment, sustainability, mentoringand business counseling services, govern-ment resources and links to business asso-ciations and local chambers of commerce.The site will connect users to programsand services provided by the city as wellas by nonprofit organizations, includingthe area’s most requested business links.Profiles of local businesses will be an on-going feature.

The newly launched site is in beta version,and the city and PDC encourage feedbackfrom potential users to inform the furtherdevelopment of the site. Visitors to Busi-ness Portland are invited to take an onlinesurvey to rank the value of various topics,resources and features that could be included in future iterations of the site.

Social media technologies, including Facebook, Linked In and Twitter, are inte-grated into the site, offering multiple av-enues for engagement with the businesscommunity. City and PDC staff are workingwith Portland’s business resource providersto oversee final web site development andongoing content programming.

A companion to the Business Portland siteis the city’s new Business Hotline, 503-865-4BIZ (4249), which connects to cityand PDC staff to help businesses navigatemyriad city resources.

Business & Industryfeature:

Green jobs, cluster support,

business assistance

Photos – PDC partners are awarded grants to support clean

tech and green jobs. A new business website offers valuable

information including the PDC-published Portland Business Handbook.

PDC has launched several new webpages to share information on keyprojects. Learn more about Rose

Quarter redevelopment, the OregonSustainability Center, the BurnsideBridgehead and the city’s small busi-ness resources at the following sites:

www.RoseQuarterDevelopment.orgwww.oregonsustainabilitycenter.orgwww.burnsidebridgehead.com

www.portland4biz.com

www.portland4biz.com

Hot topic: Rose Quarter redevelopment

The call for concepts for the ren-ovation or adaptive reuse of theMemorial Coliseum closed on January 8, the 49th anniversary

of its 1961 dedication. A total of95 concepts were submitted through theon-line application, ranging from full con-cepts – utilizing the entire building – topartial concepts and ideas that could be

incorporated with other sub-mittals, as appropriate. OnJanuary 26, the projectteam, comprised of PDC,Mayor’s Office and thecity’s Bureau of Planningand Sustainabilitystaff, hosted a publicevent at the Coliseumto share informationabout the submittalsand generate commu-nity feedback. Lightrefreshments, freeparking in the struc-

tured garages along Broadway, acash bar, and jazz quartet SweetBaby James performing with the cityskyline visible through the Coli-seum’s floor-to-ceiling windowswhich created a lively atmospherefor more than 650 attendees to view thegallery of concepts on display around theconcourse. The evening also included vi-sual and oral presentations of 29 con-cepts, in five-minute segments, toevent-goers in the historic bowl.

The large number of concept submittalsand well-attended Coliseum event is proofof the community’s passion for the build-ing and is a credit to the project team’s

efforts to engage Portlanders in theprocess. The Rose Quarter Stakeholder Ad-visory Committee will make recommenda-tions to Portland City Council in lateFebruary as to which full concepts shouldcontinue on in the process, and in addi-tion will provide input on partial conceptsto receive the formal Request For Pro-posal (RFP) from the city. The RFP will beissued in March and responses will be duein April. City Council expects to select thewinning proposal in late May.

Centennial Mills open house

More than 200 people crowded an openhouse for two catalytic projects in the

central city, CentennialMills and The FieldsNeighborhood Park, heldJanuary 19 at BridgeportBrewpub & Bakery. A fol-low-up to a public eventheld in early Decemberwhere the teams re-viewed and received pub-lic input on earlier level designs, theJanuary open house featured the projectteam presentation of schematic design for

both projects. PDC and Portland Parks andRecreation joined the Centennial Mills de-velopment team of LAB Holding, LLC andMeyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, as well asThe Fields Park designers led by The Office of Cheryl Barton, to review theschematic design of the Centennial Millsredevelopment and The Fields Neighbor-hood Park and to discuss design optionsfor a pedestrian bridge linking the twoprojects along the Willamette River. Thefive key principles identified in the Cen-tennial Mills Framework Plan guided dis-cussion at the event: Provide Open Space,Capture History, Define a CommunityFocal Point, Strengthen Connections, andEmbrace Sustainability. Centennial Mills

team member Meyer, Scherer & Rock-castle recently received the AmericanInstitute of Architects (AIA) HonorAward for their design and renovationof the Urban Outfitters Corporate Cam-pus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; thiswas one of only fourteen projects tobe honored with the AIA’s prestigiousaward. More information is availableat www.centennialmills.com.

DC Delegation pitches federal funding for OSC

An Oregon delegation that included Portland Mayor Sam Adams,Portland State University president Wim Wiewel, Nancy Hamiltonof Governor Ted Kulongoski’s office, Janet Gagnon of Solar Worldand a group of civic entrepreneurs was in Washington, D.C. Janu-ary 25-26 to lobby for funding for the proposed $120 million Ore-gon Sustainability Center. The OSC is envisioned as afirst-of-a-kind office building which synthesizes world class envi-ronmental performance and an integrated sustainability agenda,serving as both a technological model and a hub for sustainablepractices, policy, education, research and entrepreneurship. As atriple net zero building, across water and energy use and carbonemissions, the OSC is designed to achieve LEED Platinum andthe world’s most rigorous certification protocol, the CascadiaGreen Building Council’s Living Building Challenge. The groupreceived help from Oregon’s congressional delegation to schedulemeetings with high level staff at the Department of Energy, theDepartment of Commerce, Housing & Urban Development, theEnvironmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Green BuildingCouncil. A reception was held on Monday evening, January 25, atthe U.S. Green Building Council’s headquarters, sponsored by thePortland Sustainability Institute, U.S. Green Building Council, Ore-gon BEST, Ball Janik LLP and Lane Powell, the event highlighted the building and Oregon'sleadership in sustainability for a small group of key influencers within federal agencies, theWhite House, area foundations, trade associations, and non-government organizations.You can find out more about OSC on our web site, www.pdc.us/sustainability.

Photos – A largeturnout watched 29 presentations

for re-use of the Veterans’ Memorial Coliseum.

Right, Centennial Mills today. Architectural rendering of Centennial

Mills, adding public spaces and vibrancy to the northwest waterfront.

feature: Major projects

offer great possibilities

Central City

The Oregon

Sustainability Center

will serve as a hub

for sustainable

practices, policy,

education, research

and

entrepreneurship.

Printed on recycled stock (50% overall - 25% post consumer), Elemental Chlorine

Free and a FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper.

PDC announces outstanding results in minority contracting

In tough economic times and in a citywith a small minority population, thePDC has created a national model forincreasing workforce diversity. PDC’s recently-released report on diversity

contracting reveals that in fiscal year (FY)2008/2009, PDC exceeded 35 percent diver-sity in contracting in a city that is reported to

be the whitest in the United States.

In each of the last two years, PDC ex-ceeded heightened goals for utilizationof minority, women-owned and emerg-ing small businesses (M/W/ESB) by atleast 15 percent annually, achievingmore than 35 percent of the dollarscommitted to state-certified firms. ForFY 2008/2009, PDC spent $94 millionon construction projects. Thirty-five mil-lion dollars of that went to M/W/ESBfirms. Another $36 million is committedto additional PDC-supervised projects fora total of more than $70 million toM/W/ESB firms. Apprentices workednearly 250,000 of the total hours inthe past fiscal year – or three percent

above the 20 percent PDC goal for apprentices.

The results can be attributed to bold adoptionof aggressive requirements followed by struc-tural changes and internal oversight. Three

years ago, PDC revised decade-old poli-cies governing business and workforceequity and implemented significantchanges, which included the adoptionof the PDC Construction Wage Policy.Community outreach was steppedup as well, with the convening of acommunity-based Workforce Diver-sity Advisory Committee that resulted innew workforce diversity goals for constructionprojects and new contractor requirements;closer working relationships with the NationalAssociation of Minority Contractors-Oregon, theminority chambers of commerce and organiza-tions that build contractor capacity; a renewedpartnership with organized labor that changedthe state prevailing wage statutes on public-pri-vate partnerships; and support for pre-appren-ticeship programs.

PDC continues to pursue success with its con-tracting goals; among next steps is the adop-tion of a Prompt Payment Requirement tomake it easier for small contractors to get paidpromptly for completed work.

M/W/ESB firms interested in doing businesswith PDC must have Equal Employment Oppor-tunity (EEO) certification. PDC participates in theregional EEO certification program managed bythe City of Portland’s Procurement Services (formerly Bureau of Purchases).

Technical assistance is available to allM/W/ESB firms bidding on or receiving PDC

construction contracts. The program assists firmsby providing free access to technical assistancerelating to bid preparation, estimating, prevail-ing wage requirements and other public con-tracting requirements. Additional computercourses in basic accounting, word processingand spreadsheet applications are also availableto M/W/ESBs.

You can view videos about women in the trades and PDC efforts to expand contracting opportunities for M/W/ESBs on, spotlight: PDC.

PDC was created by a vote of Port-land citizens in 1958 to serve as thecity’s urban renewal agency. In 2008,PDC celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Throughout the years, PDC hasplayed a key role in keeping Portlandone of America’s most livable cities.Our mission is to achieve Portland’s

vision of a diverse, sustainable community with healthy neighbor-hoods, a vibrant central city, a

strong regional economy and qualityjobs and housing for all. Today,

PDC is internationally recognized asa model for urban renewal success

and sustainable practices.

222 Northwest 5th AvenuePortland, Oregon 97209

www.pdc.us

Special Projectsfeature:

New policies improve

workforce equity

More women are working in the construction trades to improve their

income potential. Upper right, PDC’s recently published

Diversity in Contracting Report is now postedon our web site along with a related video.

youtube.com/pdxdevelopmentcom

m

spotlight: PDC

www.pdc.us/diversity