Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

Category Archives: Concordia News

For sale: Concordia University campus

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News
A real estate agent hired to sell the 24-acre Concordia University property – including this library building – said plans are to sell it as a single unit. Photo by Gordon Riggs

The Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) was the creditor owed nearly $38 million by Concordia University (CU). Because it was also the lone bidder – for $3 million – at the June 29 foreclosure auction, LCEF now owns the campus and has listed it for sale.

Two Portland organizations were hired to manage the sale: Colliers International real estate firm and Foundry Commercial. The latter describes itself as “a services business, providing traditional real estate services like property management, project leasing, tenant representation and brokerage, project management and facilities management.”

A July 6 news release from LCEF described the two: “We are working with local Portland real estate experts who are very familiar with the property and understand the needs and wants of this community.”

Some Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) Facebook group members have conjectured the sale may take time, due to at least two lawsuits against Concordia University and reported tax liens.

The LCEF news release differed. “LCEF plans on selling the property in the near future. We look forward to positioning the property so that it can be put back to good use for the community.”

CNA sponsored an informal poll recently among Concordians. See the results at ConcordiaPDX.org/CUSale. They are the basis of a letter the CNA Board of Directors is sending to the LCEF about neighbors’ concerns about – and their hopes for – the CU property.

Below are questions asked in July by CNA and answers provided by Mike Holzgang of Colliers International.

Q: Will the property be sold as a single unit?
A: Hopefully as a single unit. We have had no discussions to separate at this time.

Q: Have you received inquiries in the past year from serious, potential buyers?
A: Yes. A couple users are teaming up to acquire.

Q: What about those “encumbrances” mentioned by the foreclosure trustee at the auction?
A: Our impression is that the foreclosure sale and purchase has resolved any claim of creditors.

Q: Has an asking price been established?
A: We are going to the market unpriced with the intent to provide pricing guidance along the way. It is an excellent opportunity for an institutional buyer to acquire the property for significantly below replacement cost. As you would imagine, and I believe stated earlier, the scarcity of properties that are urban in this size range truly drive value for this gem of a property.

Q: Supposing a tax-supported organization wanted to purchase the property, but had to refer a tax levy or bond to the voters. Is LCEF willing to make a sale pending approval of a ballot measure?
A: Our decisions will be based upon the activity and urgency of interest we have with prospective purchasers of the campus.

Q: The lawyer of one creditor implied to a Portland reporter that residential development of the property may be an answer to a new housing shortage.
A: The property isn’t currently entitled to accomplish this strategy nor would it effect the value that a user of most/all of the campus buildings will derive from the sale.

Editor’s note: Visit ConcordiaPDX.org/CUSale between monthly issues of CNews for updates regarding the sale and/or future uses of the CU property.

Nancy Varekamp is semiretired from her career in journalism, public relations and – her favorite work engagement – writing and editing targeted newsletters.

From the board – Volunteers, polls and coyotes. Oh my!

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Volunteer Opportunities

By Peter Keller | CNA Chair

On my list this month is our continued need for volunteers, the Concordia University poll and coyotes.

Sadly, we have to say goodbye to Sonia Fornoni, CNA Board member and Social Committee chair. Sonia and her family are moving out of state. Sonia has been a major force on the CNA board. She also managed all of the CNA events and the McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room. She will be missed and leaves some big shoes to be filled.

The CNA Board will appoint a new board member and Social Committee chair in the coming months. If you have interest in either or both of these positions, please reach out to me and/or attend the next (virtual) CNA Board meeting. That’s Wednesday, July 7, at 7 p.m. Visit ConcordiaPDX.org/CNAmeetings for sign-on details.

Next on the volunteer opportunity list, we’re recruiting writers for CNews. If you’re interested in writing about your neighbors and reporting everything that makes Concordia, well Concordia, please email CNewsEditor@ConcordiaPDX.org.

We are still looking for a volunteer to help us with our basic IT needs, which include maintaining a busy email system and tuning our website. The hours are minimal, and the results are appreciated. If you’re interested, please let me know at Chair@ConcordiaPDX.org.

Our informal poll asking what you would like to see replace Concordia University received hundreds of responses – mostly for a similar educational system. Results were published on the CNA Facebook page.

Finally, I’d like to put in a plug for our wild K-9 neighbors, aka coyotes. A neighbor wrote to let me know neighbors were expressing concerns on NextDoor.com about people naively feeding coyotes and small pets gone missing.

I see coyotes occasionally and have done a bit of research on them. They are among the wild animals that live here and are an important part of our ecosystem. They eat rodents, among other positive things.

Like any wild animals, people should not feed them or approach them. In fact, if you see a coyote and it doesn’t run away, the Audubon Society recommends waving your arms or making loud noises to scare them away.

It is illegal to relocate or hold a coyote captive. If there are particular individual coyotes that pose threats, the authorities will euthanize them. However, they’ve found that removing them doesn’t work, as they will naturally repopulate by having larger litters.

If you are interested or concerned, I encourage you to read the advice by Portland Audubon.

Native Portlander Peter Keller has lived in Concordia since 1997. He runs a small marketing agency with partner Max, out of their home studio. He loves exploring outdoors with and without his dogs.

Prep for wildfire season

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Erin E. Cooper | Concordia/Vernon/Woodlawn Neighborhood Emergency Team

Although it’s still early in the summer season, 2021 is shaping up as a year with the potential for wildfires similar to those in 2020. Low precipitation levels have dried out the soil and vegetation, and high winds can spread fire quickly.

Fortunately, there are some basic steps you can take to minimize the risk of fires and things everyone can do to prepare for rapid evacuations.

Vegetation near the exterior of the house can spread a fire to your house. Remove it or consider replacing it with fire-resistant plants. Oregon State University Extension Service identifies those plants at Bit.ly/CNA-USDA.

Keep trees trimmed back at least 10 feet from the house, and don’t lean or pile flammable material such as firewood against the house. For more information, visit Portland.gov/fire/your-safety/reducing-risk-wildfire.

It’s important to gather supplies and pack a go-bag before the time comes to evacuate. Your bag should include three days of food and water for each member of the family, a change of clothes, personal hygiene items and any essential medications.

If you have babies or small children, don’t forget to pack diapers, formula and other items to keep them comfortable. Don’t forget water, food, litter and travel crates for pets.

Follow the evacuation notices and wildfire warnings from reputable sources, such as the county, city and Portland Fire & Rescue. There are three levels of warning:

  • Get ready
  • Be set
  • GO!

As with all disasters, do not wait for official notice if you are in immediate danger. To avoid traffic jams, take only one car per family and plan several potential evacuation routes.

Wildfires have much in common with other disasters. By planning ahead and communicating with families and neighbors, you can minimize the damage and help the community recover.

Erin E. Cooper is a marine biologist living in Woodlawn. She spends a lot of time thinking about disasters and has been a NET member for many years. Contact her at OceanListener@gmail. com

Taphouse fills Fremont space with variety

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses

by Tara Williams | CNA Media Team

Craft beer became available again at the old Alameda Brewpub when Maxwell McInroy, left, and Eric West opened the Blind Ox Taproom. Now made-on-the-spot ice cream and Mexicajun food are part of the mix. Photo by Tara Williams

Craft brews may not be new to the venue at 4065 N.E. Fremont Street where Blind Ox Taproom opened in November in the former Alameda Brewpub space. Variety is.

“As unfortunate as the pandemic was, it also enabled us with the opportunity to create a really fun concept, with multiple businesses, almost like a mini food hall, in this large space,” said Blind Ox co-owner Eric West.

He and wife Genevieve teamed up with partner Maxwell McInroy to found Blind Ox Taphouse and a brick-and-mortar iteration of their Mix ‘n’ Match Creamery food cart. They opened in November. Anthony and Stephanie Brown, founders of the popular Mexicajun food cart Nacheaux, joined them in March.

“You can come in as a family, get some food and a drink. The kids can get ice cream, and if mom or dad wants to try a boozy nitro scoop, we’ve got those too, all made right on the spot,” Eric said.

“It’s super great. We offer 30 different flavors, a dairy base and a vegan coconut base. You can also pick a mix in. We stir it all up, blast it with the nitrogen – it looks like a witch’s cauldron and sounds like a jet taking off – leaving behind a delicious, creamy ice cream. It doesn’t get fresher than having it made right before your very eyes.”

For craft beer offerings, Blind Ox has 24 taps. “We try to keep everything local,” Eric said. Sometimes varieties come from other breweries elsewhere in the West Coast.

“We offer several IPAs, and even in summer we’ll continue to have stouts and porters. We normally have at least one pilsner, one lager, a few ciders, but the main thing is we try to keep it interesting. And we’ll fill people’s growlers. I know some places are resistant to that.”

As the pandemic winds down, Blind Ox plans to offer a slate of summer events including live music, swing dancing, open stage nights and trivia.

“The calendar is filling up fast,” Eric noted. “We’ve got a lot to offer.” You can keep track of the plans at BlindOxPDX.com, Facebook.com/BlindOxPDX, NacheauxPDX.com and/or Instagram.com/NacheauxPDX. “

As a small business, with everything that’s been going on, we’re not out of the woods yet, so we definitely do need people’s support,” Eric reported. “We’re excited to get a little bit closer to normal.”

Tara Williams is new to Concordia and loving life on Liberty Street. She’s a writer and English professor, not always in that order. Contact her at Eudaimonia.Dr.Williams@gmail.com.

School, community center are top preferences

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, CU Sale

Your Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) Board of Directors asked what you’d like to see move into the 24-acre property vacated by Concordia University. “Knowing the preferences of the majority of neighborhood participants, if only informally, will help CNA lobby the city government and whomever the new owner becomes,” reported board chair Peter Keller.

A foreclosure auction for the property was announced for June 29. Watch Facebook.com/groups/ConcordiaPDX beginning late that afternoon – and the August CNews – for the identity of the property buyer, if that information is disclosed at the auction.

The May/June poll attracted 350 responses, with more than 90 percent coming from people who live in Concordia neighborhood.

At 46.3%, the majority of respondents want to see a school on the property. Another 20% call for a community center. Also 12.6% selected “other” in the poll and offered written opinions on housing, multi-use and additional ideas for the property. See below for some of those comments.

Housing: pro & con

  • Affordable or low-income housing
  • Housing with mental health services and job resources
  • Anything besides transitional homeless housing
  • Noooooo more housing, nor addiction treatment center near Faubion

Multi-use

  • Multi-generational community center, something community-based and accessible for low-income residents to enjoy.
  • Mixed-use center for housing and services associated with the houselessness
  • Mixed residential & commercial
  • Community center/agile learning facility/library/BIPOC-owned shops/food pod – like Alder Commons but bigger
  • PreK-12 public school and community center
  • Diverse solutions for diverse facility: athletic facilities to Portland Parks & Recreation, library to Multnomah County Library, classrooms to Portland Community College, housing to social/transitional programs
  • Education and community space that can make changes with changing demographics to be used more economically and usefully, and serve a wider variety of citizen and community needs
  • School or medical center and retirement center: library becomes community center if not used by previously named three, sports-related facilities rented or contracted out
  • City or county ownership school/community center/housing for the public benefit

Miscellaneous

  • Built as a learning center, many paid a premium for their nearby home because it was a learning center, zoned to be a learning center – remain a learning center supporting the arts, medical, university with public/neighborhood outreach
  • Sports complex
  • Nike Campus East
  • Concert venue/entertainment/theater/hotel
  • Reclaim land and resources by and for BIPOC communities displaced by gentrification in partnership with groups like the Living Cully partners and Rockwood Rising project

Urbanism – ACUs could make shopping by bike more safe

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Garlynn Woodsong | CNA Board Member, SW1 CNA LUTC Chair

What if we were to allow retail on the neighborhood greenway system? Bicyclists wouldn’t need to leave the safety of bicycle infrastructure to visit a bicycle shop, go to a grocery store or visit a restaurant, cafe or pub.

Unfortunately for bicyclists seeking to not get hit by cars while going shopping, Portland’s neighborhood greenway system exists largely within a single-family zoning context, and these zones explicitly ban any sort of retail activities.

Given that single-family zoning was born out of a desire to practice racial exclusion through economic segregation, it’s certainly worth re-examining every aspect of this zoning. That includes its ban on commercial activities beyond home-based businesses that do not receive a significant volume of customers.

There are many existing examples – within our current single-dwelling zones – of buildings built prior to the imposition of the current zoning paradigm that included a retail component originally. They may be in the form of ground floor retail with apartments above, or street-facing retail with a residence adjacent.

Portland was built originally with a mix of the retail destinations people needed, with the residences where they lived in very close proximity. Within Concordia, there are a number of examples of buildings that featured commercial businesses originally, but are currently residential only. Most of these are in the oldest part of the neighborhood – west of 33rd Avenue and south of Killingsworth Street – which was built prior to the automobile boom of the 1920s.

In the racist fever of the 1940s and 1950s, zoning codes were used to separate white from Black populations within cities nationwide. Retail was also deemed to be a blight upon the purity of white-occupied, single-family zones, and they were segregated to retail-focused zones on main streets.

In the same way that accessory dwelling units (ADUs) have been used as the first baby step toward re-legalizing multi-family dwelling to single-family zones, accessory commercial units (ACUs) could be used to re-introduce retail to residential zones.

Accessory dwelling units – at least here in Portland – are confined to back yards, attics, basements and interior areas of houses where they are more difficult to see from the street. ACUs, however, depend on being visible from the street for their commercial success.

They therefore belong naturally within the front setback, taking over area currently allocated to driveways and front lawns. They repurpose the spaces for use as neighborhood-serving destinations that cater to clientele that arrives primarily by foot or bicycle.

The form of ACUs could be similar to that of ADUs: a maximum of 800 square feet and either separated from the main home by sufficient fire separation to satisfy the building code or attached.

Garlynn Woodsong lives on 29th Avenue, serves on the CNA board and is an avid bicyclist. He also is a dad who is passionate about the city his son will inherit. He is the planning + development partner with Cascadia Partners LLC, a local urban planning firm. Contact him at LandUse@ConcordiaPDX.org.

Concordia Art Works – Last Thursdays stay off the street this year

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Maquette Reeverts | Alberta Art Works

Last Thursday is live and in person this year, albeit toned down from years past. The ebbing pandemic doesn’t allow for closing Alberta Street. But look for live performances, community art projects and a few pop-up vendors during gallery openings on last Thursdays each month. Photo by Maquette Reeverts

Started in 1997, Last Thursday was a people-powered solution to bring patrons to the Alberta district. Never advertised, the event grew in popularity and prompted community members to plead with the city to close Alberta Street for safety as crowds started to pour off the sidewalks.

It took several nonfunctioning cars and brazen artists to push them into the street to stop the traffic flow before the city took note.

Alberta arts community was charged with reigning in the event that happened five summer nights, and Friends of Last Thursday was born. The volunteer group raised funds to pay for toilets and security, built street barricades to close off the 15 blocks, met monthly with city stakeholders, recruited volunteers to become community liaisons and got the first permit for the event.

It was mayor Charlie Hales who took the handling of the event away from the community and gave it to his aide to run, and it was later handed to the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) when mayor Ted Wheeler stepped in. Currently Greg Raisman, PBOT Livable Street Program specialist, is working with local leaders and groups to bring the management back into the community.

Last year the pandemic sent Last Thursday events to the internet.

This summer, Lizzy Caston is leading Alberta Main Street and, together with the community, will be guiding the direction of the event. Until the pandemic has passed, Alberta Street will not close. Instead, you will find live performances, community art projects and a few pop-up vendors as the galleries hold their openings on the last Thursdays of each month.

Find out more information and downstream videos of performances at LastThursdayPortland.org.

Michel Reeverts, aka Maquette , holds a master of arts degree in art education, serves Alberta Art Works as director and Alberta Street Gallery as a board member. She is also a practicing artist. Contact her at Maquette@AlbertaArtWorks.org

Mural fosters whimsy, community

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Volunteer Opportunities

By Taylor Nehrling | Concordia neighbor

The Rainbow Dragon, pictured in its prime, is due this month for a new coat of paint, literally. The whimsical intersection mural brings smiles to passersby and offers opportunities for neighborhood children to play,
chase and imagine. Large photo by Rob Rogers, Above Aerial Imaging

One of Portland’s many valued attributes is its strong sense of community, commonly expressed through art. That’s the ongoing case at 32nd Avenue and Sumner Street.

A street mural at the intersection pays tribute to Brook Irwin, the neighbor we lost to cancer. This month our community reunites to refresh the Rainbow Dragon that offers joy and whimsical play to those who pass by and memories to us of our neighbor.

As a community, in 2015 we wanted to honor Brook’s life. We thought she would want us to build neighborhood relations. So the intention of this project became twofold: create a memorial and celebrate connection through a community-building event.

We received great help from the Village Builders Convergence (VBC). Community art projects like this one happen all around the city each year in conjunction with the VBC. Its 21-yearold Placemaking Program offers support and education in design logistics, fundraising, city permits and supply discounts.

The VBC is a program of the City Repair Project, a local nonprofit that, in its own words, “fosters thriving, inclusive and sustainable community through the creative reclamation of public space.”

The design for the Rainbow Dragon was inspired by Brook and her interests. According to Jason Horner, Brook’s husband, she taught high school geology, biology and physical science.

Photo courtesy of Taylor Nehrling

“She highly valued education and loved learning,” he added. “I think she would have been a lifelong student given the chance. Teaching science allowed her to combine educating, collaborating, helping people and her love of the outdoors – she was a great rock climber and loved hiking to vistas to see all the wonders of the natural world.”

The Rainbow Dragon is a symbol of our collective healing. It is an art installation that invites interaction with the viewer. Traveling around the rainbow and jumping across the stepping stones brings one in connection with the wonders of living. May your journey be joyful.

We will repaint the Rainbow Dragon Saturday, July 24, from 9 a.m. until we finish. The repainting is long overdue. Like many things that were put on hold due to the pandemic, we are eager to gather again and brighten our neighborhood with color, joy and camaraderie.

Please come and join us in taking advantage of our shared spaces and celebrate our abundance of community. Bring a brush!

For further information about the Rainbow Dragon intersection painting event, contact me at TaylorTracy1975@yahoo.com and/or donate at GoFund.me/82f2947d (Rainbow Dragon repaint)

Painting rules are few, and permits freeModern street painting efforts in Portland date back to 1996. Find help for initiating your own street painting project at CityRepair.org/become-aplacemaker. The rules are few and the permits are free. Details on the points below – and more – are available at Portland.gov/transportation/permitting/ street-painting.

  • Typically, the city allows paintings only on low-traffic residential streets.
  • Art must contain no words, copyrighted material or appearance of traffic control devices.
  • Art may be as large as an intersection or an entire block.
  • A free Street Painting Permit is required. Apply for a Street Painting Permit here.
  • A free Healthy Blocks Permit is required to close the street for painters to work safely. Apply for a Healthy Blocks Permit here.

Taylor Nehrling is a 17-year Concordia resident and a mother and an artist. Taylor is also an alumna of Oregon College of Arts and Crafts, and she is passionate about art as a common language for expression, healing and connection.

AmeriCorps volunteers bring service to Sabin

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Alex Cruz | AmeriCorps

Clockwise beginning at the left, Kirk Rea, Taylor Rankins, Susan Rideout, Rowdy Feltner, Megan King and Katherine Freeman are among the nine AmeriCorps volunteers assigned this summer to the Sabin  Community Development Corporation. Team member Alex Cruz reports on their efforts.

A year ago as a senior in high school, I never would have imagined myself being where I am today. I wouldn’t have seen myself traveling all the way across the country, living with complete strangers, and learning skills far outside my comfort zone to do hands-on service work.

Yet this is exactly what I undertook as a member of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. AmeriCorps NCCC is a service program run by the federal government. Members are ages 18-26, and they spend 10 months serving nonprofits across the country.

I am on a team of nine who have completed three service projects. We cleaned up after a wildfire in California, built affordable housing in Montana, and now we are here serving this community.

Our project entails working primarily with Sabin Community Development Corporation (CDC), a nonprofit that provides low-income housing in northeast Portland. We are beautifying Sabin CDC’s properties by painting and landscaping their exteriors.

We are also assisting with maintenance on the interiors of the properties. This work advances the CDC’s mission of social equity and livability, particularly for the disenfranchised Black population.

We also work with The City Repair Project, a nonprofit that fosters thriving communities in the Portland metro area through placemaking. City Repair facilitates a variety of projects to bring communities together, including street paintings and landscaping.

Through our connections with City Repair, we have had the opportunity to create street paintings, assist houseless villages and learn more about the diverse communities here in northeast Portland.

Additionally, we have helped Portland artist Bobby Fouther – known as “Mr. Bobby” – display his artwork. Born and raised in Portland, Mr. Bobby has an extensive legacy closely intertwined with local history, and he tells this legacy through his artwork.

We greatly appreciated the opportunity to help him with an exhibit that was displayed in the former Albina Arts Center.

I decided to join NCCC to take myself outside my comfort zone by living outside my hometown for the first time. It has developed my independence and, as a result, I feel more prepared for college. It also gave me opportunities to learn more about other cultures while providing valuable service to the national community.

My work with Sabin CDC and City Repair has been nothing but rewarding. It’s always very fulfilling to interact with the residents of the properties the team is working on, and to hear people’s gratitude or comments on our work.

Alex Cruz, from Exton, Pennsylvania, continues his passion for community service with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps.

It’s more than trash talk for Sarah Bowell

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Volunteer Opportunities

By Carrie Wenninger | CNA Media Team

Picking up trash in her block – and beyond – has become a passion for Concordian Sarah Bowell. She and faithful companion Buster signed on for block ambassador duty with Adopt One Block. Photo by Chris Baker

While looking for ways to productively fill her time when the restaurant she worked at closed during the pandemic, nature loving Concordian Sarah Bowell discovered the joys of trash.

That’s trash removal, on her own block and on her own schedule — with supplies provided to her free of charge.

“I saw this interesting program on Instagram that someone posted about. It was so easy to sign up, you just fill out a form, look at a map and choose the block you want to be responsible for.”

The program? Adopt One Block, brainchild of Portland resident and retired tech exec Frank Moscow. The motto? “Serving our community by cleaning up our world one block at a time.”

The organization is new, formed just seven months ago, and Sarah has been involved for two months.

“It’s frustrating to see garbage but now, when I’m out walking the dog, I just bring my bucket. In fact, I want to bring my bucket and grabber when I go out because I’m now more aware of where the trash is.”

Like laundry, trash piles up if you don’t stay on top of it. Adopt One Block empowers individuals to stay on top of a block they love by tidying weekly – or more, whenever the mood strikes – by becoming block ambassadors.

Easy and cost-free, with no driving, no fundraising and no scheduling with a group – it’s just you and your block. “Some people ‘go rogue,’ though,” Sarah shared, which means continuing on past their designated areas and picking up trash along the way.

Basic supplies consist of a five-gallon bucket and trash grabber. Trash bags, gloves and sharps containers are also available on request. “They Amazon-ed supplies to me, and I got my order within 48 hours,” Sarah enthused.

“I typically do my area twice a week, before and after garbage day. It takes about a half hour to fill a bucket. My philosophy is if the area is clean, people are less likely to throw more stuff down.

“I’m surprised at how much joy picking up trash brings me,” she added. “It seems like it would be a chore, but there are so many nice people who are appreciative of what I’m doing, and that keeps me going.”

Ready to adopt your block? Learn more and sign up at AdoptOneBlock.org or Facebook.com/groups/adoptoneblockpdx.

Carrie Wenninger lives on 29th Avenue in Concordia. She is a freelance writer, a mom, a world traveler and a small business marketing consultant. Contact her at WurdGurl@gmail.com.