URBAN RENEWAL ADVISORY GROUP
DRAFTING DIRECTIONS TO STAFF
January 15, 2008
PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION 1:
The River District should be expanded by approximately 54 contiguous acres, reserving up to seven acres for possible island district or districts.
URAG Directions to Staff:
- Staff should work with community representatives (Old Town/Chinatown Land Use and Visions Committees, Pearl District Neighborhood Association, Portland Business Alliance) to resolve minor differences between staff proposal and the consortium’s proposed boundaries.
- Up to seven acres of the River District’s 61 acre expansion should be reserved for possible island districts.
- Legislation on island districts is pending as part of the 2008 Special Session of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. If it passes, acreage dedicated to island districts would not be subjected to the 20% expansion rule and would free the reserved acreage for other contiguous expansions.
- In proposing new River District boundaries, staff should consider inclusion of additional acreage pursuant to the recommendations from Portland’s Planning Bureau Director Gil Kelley to add O’Bryant Square and one additional block adjacent to Pioneer Place.
PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION 2:
DTWF/SPB 2018 Budgets as proposed with referral to budget process for any line item adjustments.
PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION 3:
DTWF/SPB Budget Alternatives:
- South Park Blocks: Recommend use of maximum 2008 financial capacity of $57.2M. This is $16.0M more than the 2018 close-out budget. The additional money would be dedicated to Section 8 Preservation and Economic Development (pending completion of Downtown Transition Plan, Recommendation 7).
- Downtown Waterfront: Recommend use of maximum 2008 financial capacity of $75.1M. This is $28.0M more than the 2018 close-out budget. The additional money would be dedicated to Multnomah County capital projects and Economic Development (pending completion of Downtown Transition Plans, Recommendation 7).
URAG Directions to Staff:
- The URAG confirmed direction to set 2018 close-out goals for both DTWF and SPB.
- The URAG left open the possibility of recommending a later close-out date for SPB only if necessary to ensure preservation of all five Section 8 housing projects in the district.
PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION 4:
Maximum Indebtedness for River District should increase by $311M for debt proceeds through 2020. Combined with the current $225M MI, this creates a new overall MI of $536M. The new $536M MI minus the $119M already spent leaves $417M in available debt or approximately $390M net of financing costs for projects.
URAG Directions to Staff:
- The URAG approved the proposed increase in maximum indebtedness.
- Funding should be reserved to address both Multnomah County’s funding request (no consensus on amount) and potential island district requests.
Proposed Recommendation 5:
Following the completion of the Westside Study, PDC in collaboration with the Office of Management and Finance should initiate a process to downsize DTWF and SPB as may be appropriate and fiscally feasible.
URAG Directions to Staff:
- The URAG approved the recommendation.
Proposed Recommendation 6:
Following the completion of the Westside Study, PDC should host a stakeholder group to discuss options for the formation of one or more new downtown urban renewal areas (e.g., Lincoln HS, PSU, Con-Way Site). Discussions should include the need to set close-out strategies that include parameters on any new districts (e.g., real limits on MI, duration limits and specific close-out dates).
URAG Directions to Staff:
- The URAG approved the recommendation.
- The URAG directed staff to provide additional details regarding implementation steps and scope of assignment.
Proposed Reccommendation 7:
Following the completion of the Westside Study, PDC should host a stakeholder group to create a Downtown Transition Plan with interim development strategies to ensure adequate consideration of the following community needs pending the completion of the Central Portland Plan Update:
- Economic Development/Retail
- Section 8 Preservation/No Net Loss Housing Policy
- Multnomah County Office Space
- Other Topics???
URAG Directions:
- The URAG approved the recommendation.
- The URAG directed staff to provide additional details regarding implementation steps and scope of assignment.
ADDITIONAL URAG DIRECTION
New Proposed Recommendation:
The Advisory Group agreed with Commissioner Cogen’s proposal [link to Jeff’s draft language] that the group recommend a more definitive and formal role in the process of creating a new district or expanding an existing district. The Advisory Group directed staff to work with Commissioner Cogen to craft language for the URAG’s recommendation on this topic.
Request for Additional Information:
Responding to concerns raised by the League of Women Voters, the Advisory Group directed staff to complete a detailed analysis of the fiscal impacts of its recommendation to increase the River District’s maximum indebtedness. Specifically, the Advisory Group wanted to know more about the impact on taxing jurisdictions.