Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

Category Archives: Local Businesses

Cully Main Street/Local Street Plans Project Open House to share and seek input

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Land Use & Transportation, Local Businesses

Come give your vision for the neighborhood

Portland, OR. — Community members are invited to an open house to learn about the Cully Main Street and Local Street Plans project, give their feedback on the information collected so far and share their ideas about where the project should go from here.

Spanish language interpretation, on-site childcare and light refreshments will be provided free of charge. The open house also features a raffle with door prizes!

Staff have integrated community input with research about the Cully neighborhood to describe existing conditions in the future main street area and for the local street system. With this information, the City and the community can start to understand what it will take to develop a thriving neighborhood main street and a safe, accessible local street system to serve the Cully community.

What: Open House for the Cully Main Street and Local Street Plans Project

When: Thursday, October 27th, 5 – 8 p.m.

Where: Rigler School, 5401 NE Prescott St

Who: The Cully Community, City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, Portland Bureau of Transportation

The Cully Main Street and Local Street Plans Project is a year-long effort to create opportunities for neighborhood-serving retail and
services in the heart of Cully, and attractive and safe routes for getting around the neighborhood. The project comes on the heels of other efforts in
Cully, including the Cully-Concordia Community Assessment and Action Plan, the Cully Blvd Green Street, and the Cully-Concordia Early Childhood Needs Assessment.

Staff will make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. Please notify us no fewer than five (5) business days prior to the event by phone at 503-823-7700, by the TTY line at 503-823-6868, or by the Oregon Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900.

About the Cully Main Street and Local Street Plans Project

The Cully Main Street and Local Street Plans Project is a one-year effort to increase opportunities to allow more neighborhood-serving commercial development in the heart of Cully, including shops, restaurants and other amenities and services. The project will also help foster safe and attractive routes for residents to walk, roll or bike to local destinations. The local street plan will identify opportunities for future street connections. It will also consider new designs and funding strategies for improving substandard streets based on community priorities for enhancing local circulation. The project will conclude with a report that includes zoning recommendations for the Cully Boulevard Main Street area and a local street plan. Both will be presented to the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission and the Portland City Council at public hearings in Spring 2012 for final action.

Words Bring 42nd Avenue Cully-Concordia Mural to Life

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Arts & Culture, Local Businesses

Photos: Courtesy the Cully Neighborhoood Association

A new mural is appearing at the intersection of NE 42nd Avenue and Alberta Court. But this is no ordinary mural thanks to the creativity of resident artist Loey Hargrove, the support of local property owners of the Morel Ink building (Bill Dickey and Matt Witham) and Doggy Business (Doug Duncan and Meredith Wilson), funding from the Regional Arts and Culture Council and the handwork of local volunteers, the image of a tree appears as two interconnected wall mural along this historic commercial corridor between Concordia and Cully.

The image is based on curved forms, creating a highly abstracted landscape of geometric pattern. The two murals reach across the intersection, where the flowing tree giving a sense of movement.

“The mural aspires to invoke community through its ‘Tree of Life’ theme. It symbolizes process, change, the continuity and connectivity of life.” writes Hargrove. This is a fitting dynamic for the community and nod to decades of transformation.

In addition to the image, the mural incorporates words inspired by the theme and location. The inclusion of words, generated and painted by members of the surrounding neighborhoods, reinforce the symbiotic relationship between the commercial district & area residents.

Do you have a word you’d like to add to the mural?

If you have a word you believe reflects the theme and aspiration of this work, submit your suggestions for consideration. Words for the murals will be selected by drawing from the pool of entries. Applications are being accepted through September 30th. For details, contact Bob Granger at robert@g2online.org or 503 771-3916.

Community Check-In: Alberta Main Street Progress Report

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As Alberta Main Street approaches the end of year one, it’s time to check in.  A team of experts will be in Portland June 21 – 23 in what the National Main Street program calls a Resource Team Visit. The visit will conclude with a public presentation on Thursday, June 23, 2011.

The Resource Team will conduct a series of focus groups and interviews, listening to community stakeholder’s comments on the program’s progress. The team has two jobs:

  1. Work to develop general and specific recommendations for action in a written report. The team’s report will take approximately 8 weeks to complete and is designed to help us develop a 12-24 month implementation strategy.
  2. Make a candid assessment of the opportunities and issues affecting the Alberta Main Street program through an intensive listening process while in the community.

On Thursday June 23 at 6:30PM, the resource team will preview their findings at a public presentation. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend!

Thursday June 23; 6:30 – 8:15 PM
St. Andrew Catholic Church – Community Center – Oscar Romero Room
806 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

RSVP appreciated: info@albertamainst.org or (503) 683-3252.

 

April 5th General Meeting addresses Alberta Street

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Events, Local Businesses

General Membership April 5 at 7 PM
Concordia University’s Luther Hall Room 121

This meeting, Sara Wittenberg, the new Executive Director of Alberta Main Street, will attend to tell us about their work to “advance efforts to develop Alberta Street as a vibrant, creative and sustainable commercial district serving residents and visitors to our community.”

A representative from Friends of Last Thursday will also join to discuss plans concerns for a safer, more family-friendly ‘Last Thursday.’

Open House for design input for Alberta Court Crossing on 42nd Avenue

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Land Use & Transportation, Local Businesses

We’re holding 2 Open Houses in the Witham & Dickey Conference Room to present the progress in design planning for the Village Building Convergence Alberta Crossing Intersection project (NE 42nd Ave & Alberta Count).  You can attend one or both meetings, as they are intended to give you 2 options for the best date that works for you:

Witham & Dickey Conference Room
4824 NE 42nd Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97218

Saturday, March 26 at 10:30am to noon.
Monday, March 28 at 3:15pm to 5 PM.

It’s essential that the project have considerable input from all of you as neighborhood and community stakeholders, and so your presence at one of these meetings is greatly valued. We want to develop a “master plan” that illustrates the long-term development goal for the intersection.

The design elements discussed include:

  • Seating area space on the four corners, with an coordinated design theme, shelter cover and landscaping where possible.
  • A structure design that incorporates metal and wood, and fits the architectural style of the corner buildings.
  • NE corner (US Bank corner) designed as tribute “Weather Station” seating area in honor of Eddie Morgan.
  • Wall murals on the north side of the Spare Room and south side of Doggy Business, with a design theme that links the two, and creates a visual flow between the two.
  • Painted sidewalks on the four corners of the intersection
  • Coordinated lighting on the four corners, that could also accommodate cross-street banners

Additional design elements for further enhancement and consideration:

  • Changes to the surface of the west wall of the Witham and Dickey buildingDe-paving of the concrete in front of Wilshire Dental
  • “Kiosk” created on the south side of the Doggie Business (in the closed-off doorway)

Priority sequence of development:

  • Creation of a Master Plan design for the corner, including structure and landscaping design, wall mural design and sidewalk corner painting design.
  • Wall murals (as a part of the VBC)
  • Painting of the sidewalk corners—if the City requirements can be met in time for the VBC
  • One corner landscaping and structure—to reflect the Master Plan.

Much discussion has already happened around design concepts.  We hope to be able to give you examples of some of these concepts at the Open House.

 

Alberta Main Street Visioning Seeks Community Input

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Land Use & Transportation, Local Businesses

On June 18th, Mayor Sam Adams named Alberta Street one of the first three Portland Main Street Districts, which will be the first urban Green Main Street program in the country. The Main Street program is closely tied to the Portland Economic Development Strategy, which calls out 20-minute neighborhoods, vibrant commercial corridors and healthy neighborhood businesses as a key objective.

The holistic nature of the Main Street approach is what prompted the Alberta Street Business Association to apply for the program on behalf our community. will bring together residents, business owners, commercial property owners, non-profit & faith-based leaders to create and implement intentional development in our community. The Alberta program area includes parts of Concordia, King and Vernon neighborhoods.

Sara Wittenberg started as the Executive Director on September 6, 2010 and has been working with the Board to get the word out about opportunities for community involvement. Sara’s mantra is, “Alberta Main Street will only be as strong as the community investment in it! We need your help.”
That is where you come in; needs your investment of time, talents & resources.
Contribute Your Time

Monday, November 1, 2010 – 6:30 – 7:30PM @ The Alberta Rose Theatre
Alberta Main Street Community Meeting and Q & A – Find out the latest about Alberta Main Street, learn about the Main Street Committees, and find out more about the Community Visioning Session.

Monday, November 29, 2010 – 5 – 9 PM @ The Alberta Rose Theatre
Alberta Main Street Community Visioning Session – the Community Visioning Session will provide you the opportunity to contribute your ideas and energy into the vision for our community. Diverse community-wide participation is critical to the success of the program. Register online at: http://www.albertastreetfair.com/main-street/community-visioning-session/ and please extend this invitation to others with a stake in the future of the community!

Contribute Your Talents

PARTICIPATE ON A MAIN STREET COMMITTEE: The four Main Street committees include Organization, Promotion, Design and Economic Restructuring. Find out more about these committees online at:
http://www.albertastreetfair.com/main-street/four-point-approach/. You can also learn more about these opportunities at the November 1st Community Meeting.

Contribute Your Resources

SUPPORT: Healthy commercial districts create opportunities for locally based businesses to succeed, for residents to shop and eat locally and for the preservation of historic structures and an increased tax base. Everybody wins; it will also take everyone’s support. Ranging from $20 – $5000, 101 residents, neighborhood associations, school groups, non-profit & faith-based organizations, business owners and commercial property owners have contributed over to our community. needs your help too. If you haven’t already, please contribute today: http://www.albertastreetfair.com/main-street/contribute/

STAY UP TO DATE: Visit facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alberta-Main-Street/164339070242860 for the latest news and information about the program. A new website is currently under development.

For additional information about Alberta Main Street contact Sara Wittenberg at sarawittenberg@me.com. Information about the Portland Main Street Program can be found at http://www.pdc.us/bus_serv/business_support/mainstreet.asp.