LENTS TOWN CENTER HOUSING OPENS
Project Brings 36 Units of Much Needed Housing to Southeast Portland

Guests gathered today for the grand opening celebration of the Lents Town Center project. The project brings a total of 36 units of much needed affordable rental housing to the Lents neighborhood. The Lents Town Center project consists of four sites in or near the Lents Town Center urban renewal area. Today’s ribbon cutting was held at the Reedway site, which features the largest number of new housing units. Guests also toured the child care unit at Woodmere Commons. The breakdown of units and locations are as follows:

• Reedway Place, 8940 S.E. Reedway 24 units
• Marysville Commons, 7704-7716 S.E. Raymond 5 units
• Woodmere Commons, 8002-8010 S.E. Duke 4 units
• 93rd Avenue Commons, 6119 S.E. 93rd 3 units

Reedway Place offers one, two and three bedroom units. The other locations offer 12 two and three bedroom two-story units. One of the units at Woodmere Commons and one at Marysville Commons are specially designed for in-home child care and are located across the street from two elementary schools. The childcare units provide economic opportunities for the providers, a quality environment for children and closer connections between schools and the community.

All the units in the projects rent at 30, 40 and 50 percent area median family income. A market study done for the project indicated a shortage of 4,000 units in the outer southeast market area that are affordable to households below 50 percent of median family income. As testament to the need and interest in the housing, only the Reedway project still has units available for rent.

Rose Community Development Corporation (Rose CDC) is the developer of the project. “We are extremely pleased with these units and how they have been received by the Lents community,” said Rose CDC Executive Director Nick Sauvie. “Jobs and housing are the two biggest issues in Lents. This project provides both. Everyone hopes there are many more great things to come in Lents.”

Lents Town Center is the first major redevelopment in the Lents Town Center Urban Renewal Area. It represents a $5.8 million investment that generated employment for local contractors and suppliers. One of the businesses, Hogan’s Electric, is located on the same block as Reedway Place. Because of the work on this project, Hogan’s added employees - including some who live in the surrounding neighborhood. “With the opening of this project we are starting to see the revitalization of downtown Lents,” said PDC Housing Director Andy Wilch. “This is the first step toward the goals of the urban renewal plan which call for downtown Lents to be a vibrant center with housing, retail and new jobs,” Wilch added.

Financing for the project came from Bank of America, Enterprise Foundation, Enterprise Social Investment Corporation, Multnomah County, Network of Oregon Affordable Housing, Oregon Housing and Community Services Department and urban renewal funds through the Lents Town Center Urban Renewal Area. Architect on the project was Wasserberger Design Group. The General Contractor was Seabold Construction Company, Inc., and property management services are being provided by Cascade Management, Inc.

ROSE’s (Revitalize Outer South East) mission is to build community and strengthen neighborhood economies that revitalize outer southeast Portland. The Lents Town Center opening marks the completion of ROSE’s 260th affordable housing unit. ROSE also provides support to family child care providers, including the two who live at Marysville and Woodmere Commons.

For more information contact:

• Julie Rawls, PDC, 503-823-3294
• Nick Sauvie, Rose CDC, 503-788-8052

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