Thank you for the update on the reconnecting albina planning project (RAPP) project! I am looking forward to the completion of the portland bureau of planning and sustainability (BPS) master plan for this little gem. We are close to the fall of 26 deadline for this two year money suck. Alibina land trust (ATV) has promised to find a new home for PPS for such a generous gesture. PPS has obligated itself to pay the costs of moving Multnomah County Facilities and Maintenance (FMP)who leases space within this complex. The address being 401 N Dixon.
During the multnomah county 3/10 board briefing Department of County Assets (DCA) highlighed their FY 27 Capitol Improvement Projects (CIP). In priority group number four was the FMP prophet center relocation. It had a score of 45 on priorities. The estimated cost of 52,000,000 for this project. DCA would like to allocate 7,000,000 of CIP for FY 27. If I recall it to commision a study on options. I cant recall the offical term for this one right now. We can talk the county’s decsion to invest a million in the Lone Fir cemetary instead of demolishing the hansen building.
The priority scoring criteria is not fully understood and courtesy of the newer cheif operating officer (COO) Christopher Neal. The Office of diversity and equity (ODE) used to be a stand alone department within the county. The COO has taken on the responsibilies as the new head of ODE. It was folded into his department. A little “enterprise alignment” gesture to streamline costs. He did not create the county’s equity lens.
I read the washington free beacon story. It makes alot of sense from an equality stance which empowers all. Equity concentrates on certain poplutions. If one would like familiarize oneself on how the county policy setting is guided, please help yourself. Since the department of justice (DOJ) may take a “special interest” in Homeless services department’s (HSD) application of the equity and empowerment lens AKA the 5 P’s. the county states they lead with race. It is a part of their mission, vision and values statement. If they are going to dish it, they should make it through legal scrutinity. Surely the Oregon Constitution will save them….we do have two sets of realities going on here. That is exhausting for my level one autstic, neurodivergent brain. Who knows how many sit on the spectrum in this town….this may be contributing to Portland’s “special interests” issues….. the cycle of meltdowns and burnouts is tricky. I will quote the lovely hearing officer from the harbarton reliability project, “feelings are not facts”
This is a fair assessment. These unelected Bureaucrats have done a lot of damage. I was born and raised in Portland in the 60’s-70’s. So sad to see Portland’s decline.
What the Albina Vision Trust is attempting, if its drawings reflect its actual ambitions, is one of the most audacious urban real estate plays in Portland's history — more so than the Pearl, as Cheverton notes, because the Pearl involved private capital taking private risk on privately acquired land. The Trust is attempting to assemble a neighborhood-scale land position using public subsidies, government partnerships, tax exemptions, and philanthropic capital, while maintaining the governance opacity of a private nonprofit.
The "restorative redevelopment" framing is doing enormous ideological work — it makes scrutiny of the financial structure feel like an attack on racial justice, which is precisely why the imagination exercise format is deployed rather than genuine public accountability sessions. The history of black displacement from Albina is real and documented. Its deployment as a shield against financial transparency is something else entirely.
Cheverton's instinct that this resembles a company town is financially sound. The question of who benefits — the community the Trust claims to serve, or the Trust itself and its development partners — cannot be answered from the outside with the disclosure currently available. That opacity is not accidental. It is, as with the Multnomah County's homeless services screening tool, [1] a feature rather than a bug.
The Tom Johnson statue! Of course! The imagination juices are flowing.
Seriously, who's paying for this waffle-waffle? It'd be funny if it didn't cost so much - both in direct outlay and in forgone actually productive development.
Richard, do you come out of those input opportunities laughing, crying, or just shaking your head?
I try not to go to these kind of sessions because there will always be some sort of scold who wants you to play by their rules, which are created to keep anyone from asking tough questions. Personally, I think Stammtisch, Tinker, and Arbor Hall are the best places to seek restorative redevelopment.
One can only hope that there will be another SCOTUS decision striking down any projects specifically targeted at racial goals (like this one).
Thank you for the update on the reconnecting albina planning project (RAPP) project! I am looking forward to the completion of the portland bureau of planning and sustainability (BPS) master plan for this little gem. We are close to the fall of 26 deadline for this two year money suck. Alibina land trust (ATV) has promised to find a new home for PPS for such a generous gesture. PPS has obligated itself to pay the costs of moving Multnomah County Facilities and Maintenance (FMP)who leases space within this complex. The address being 401 N Dixon.
During the multnomah county 3/10 board briefing Department of County Assets (DCA) highlighed their FY 27 Capitol Improvement Projects (CIP). In priority group number four was the FMP prophet center relocation. It had a score of 45 on priorities. The estimated cost of 52,000,000 for this project. DCA would like to allocate 7,000,000 of CIP for FY 27. If I recall it to commision a study on options. I cant recall the offical term for this one right now. We can talk the county’s decsion to invest a million in the Lone Fir cemetary instead of demolishing the hansen building.
The priority scoring criteria is not fully understood and courtesy of the newer cheif operating officer (COO) Christopher Neal. The Office of diversity and equity (ODE) used to be a stand alone department within the county. The COO has taken on the responsibilies as the new head of ODE. It was folded into his department. A little “enterprise alignment” gesture to streamline costs. He did not create the county’s equity lens.
I read the washington free beacon story. It makes alot of sense from an equality stance which empowers all. Equity concentrates on certain poplutions. If one would like familiarize oneself on how the county policy setting is guided, please help yourself. Since the department of justice (DOJ) may take a “special interest” in Homeless services department’s (HSD) application of the equity and empowerment lens AKA the 5 P’s. the county states they lead with race. It is a part of their mission, vision and values statement. If they are going to dish it, they should make it through legal scrutinity. Surely the Oregon Constitution will save them….we do have two sets of realities going on here. That is exhausting for my level one autstic, neurodivergent brain. Who knows how many sit on the spectrum in this town….this may be contributing to Portland’s “special interests” issues….. the cycle of meltdowns and burnouts is tricky. I will quote the lovely hearing officer from the harbarton reliability project, “feelings are not facts”
https://multco.us/info/equity-and-empowerment-lens#section-7
This is a fair assessment. These unelected Bureaucrats have done a lot of damage. I was born and raised in Portland in the 60’s-70’s. So sad to see Portland’s decline.
I asked an associate for their take on the Albina Vision Trust project:
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What the Albina Vision Trust is attempting, if its drawings reflect its actual ambitions, is one of the most audacious urban real estate plays in Portland's history — more so than the Pearl, as Cheverton notes, because the Pearl involved private capital taking private risk on privately acquired land. The Trust is attempting to assemble a neighborhood-scale land position using public subsidies, government partnerships, tax exemptions, and philanthropic capital, while maintaining the governance opacity of a private nonprofit.
The "restorative redevelopment" framing is doing enormous ideological work — it makes scrutiny of the financial structure feel like an attack on racial justice, which is precisely why the imagination exercise format is deployed rather than genuine public accountability sessions. The history of black displacement from Albina is real and documented. Its deployment as a shield against financial transparency is something else entirely.
Cheverton's instinct that this resembles a company town is financially sound. The question of who benefits — the community the Trust claims to serve, or the Trust itself and its development partners — cannot be answered from the outside with the disclosure currently available. That opacity is not accidental. It is, as with the Multnomah County's homeless services screening tool, [1] a feature rather than a bug.
[1] De Dios, Austin. "DOJ official threatens investigation into Multnomah County homeless services over screening tool." The Oregonian/Oregon Live. 1 May 2026. https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2026/05/doj-official-threatens-investigation-into-multnomah-county-homeless-services-over-screening-tool.html
Ollie...I can always count on you for a really great comment. Thanks for reading--and thinking.
You are far too entertaining to remain in that outhouse-in-a-tornado they call Portland. Save yourself. Get out.
I am one of many Portlanders who are stuck in this town because I have a great family nearby and it's a great town for hospitable bars.
The Tom Johnson statue! Of course! The imagination juices are flowing.
Seriously, who's paying for this waffle-waffle? It'd be funny if it didn't cost so much - both in direct outlay and in forgone actually productive development.
Richard, do you come out of those input opportunities laughing, crying, or just shaking your head?
I try not to go to these kind of sessions because there will always be some sort of scold who wants you to play by their rules, which are created to keep anyone from asking tough questions. Personally, I think Stammtisch, Tinker, and Arbor Hall are the best places to seek restorative redevelopment.