Was there ever a consideration of making the area a park with access to the river? There are rumors that the neighborhood and city were discussing that at one time.
The City Council voted in the early 2000s to make the CM site a public park. That was before we began living in the Pearl (2009), so I have to rely on others to recite the details. From where I sit, the City (and Portland Prosper’s handling of the oversight of this site) represents arguably one of the most egregious examples of bureaucratic incompetence I have witnessed during my time in Portland. Tens of millions of dollars spent by the City in so-called maintenance and demolition with nothing whatsoever to show for it. Where is the outrage???
I liked this concept. I was more hesitant about the night club in the most recent plan but I was on board with that one too. In hindsight, the addition of an office building would have been a terrible mistake knowing what do know about office vacancy rates. Personally I would be fine with mid to high rise housing like the other areas just north and south of the Fremont. But put SOMETHING there after 25 years.
The original park idea was resisted by the Pearl District Neighborhood Association, which called for a grander public attraction worthy of the site's historic significance. That was an era when people asked, "Why not the best?" A lot of pieces had to come together to make such a vision possible, and since 2008, the city has not been up to the task. At times, just culpable.
Was there ever a consideration of making the area a park with access to the river? There are rumors that the neighborhood and city were discussing that at one time.
The City Council voted in the early 2000s to make the CM site a public park. That was before we began living in the Pearl (2009), so I have to rely on others to recite the details. From where I sit, the City (and Portland Prosper’s handling of the oversight of this site) represents arguably one of the most egregious examples of bureaucratic incompetence I have witnessed during my time in Portland. Tens of millions of dollars spent by the City in so-called maintenance and demolition with nothing whatsoever to show for it. Where is the outrage???
I liked this concept. I was more hesitant about the night club in the most recent plan but I was on board with that one too. In hindsight, the addition of an office building would have been a terrible mistake knowing what do know about office vacancy rates. Personally I would be fine with mid to high rise housing like the other areas just north and south of the Fremont. But put SOMETHING there after 25 years.
The original park idea was resisted by the Pearl District Neighborhood Association, which called for a grander public attraction worthy of the site's historic significance. That was an era when people asked, "Why not the best?" A lot of pieces had to come together to make such a vision possible, and since 2008, the city has not been up to the task. At times, just culpable.
It will always be the Portland Development Commission to me.