Infamous Asa alcoves finally caged
Bike parking stalls created ongoing livability problems
The bicycle parking alcoves at Asa Flats + Lofts, 1200 NW Marshall St., were finally enclosed on May 30 after years of inertia involving the city of Portland and the building’s Chicago-based management company.
The alcoves have been long-known to attract squatters, garbage and drug activity, but the city ordered earlier fencing removed because it blocked 14 bike parking stalls, leading to fines and substantial permitting costs that STYL Residential found “too cost prohibitive” last December.
“For reasons that I don’t understand (likely to do with profitability),” wrote Tracy Nistler of Portland Permitting and Development, “the Asa seems to not want to act in any way to fix the problems on their perimeter. So frustrating for the entire neighborhood.”
“In light of the homeless crisis and its impact on ground-floor retail,” Pearl District Neighborhood Association Shelter Oversight Committee Chair Linda Witt wrote in April 2024, “it seemed a bit tone-deaf for the city to single-mindedly punish businesses that took initiatives (and spent their own money) to successfully reduce the impact of the lingering homeless crisis on their residential tenants and their retail businesses.”
Finally! My staff, Jimmy Radosta in particular, worked with the City bureau to finally get this done and waive fees. Thanks to Linda Witt and other Pearl District neighbors for keeping up the pressure.
I’m glad this was done, but it’s really pathetic that we need to close off spaces and spend money barricading our buildings and paying for our own security because a good number of the elected officials here won’t ensure basic safety and livability are met. I’m begging everyone to keep these things in mind when you vote in city/county/state elections this fall. The situation in Portland is dire with no signs of getting better as long as the DSA and other activist ideologues exist within our government.