Mayor Sam Adams

Thanks to the Mayor's Office, the Downtown Marketing Initiative, the Portland Development Commission (PDC), the Portland Business Alliance (PBA), downtown property owners and Portland Fashion Synergy (PDXFS), Thursday, November 12th was a big day for downtown retail and Portland fashion designers and artists. The Mayor was in attendance for a ribbon cutting at Flurry (401 SW Morrison - thanks to Randy Higgins of Vizwerks) and Workroom 719 (719 SW Morrison - thanks to Greg Goodman of Downtown Development Company), two of the Pop Up Stores that opened downtown for the holiday season.

In listening to businesses downtown, the business community at large, and Portland designers and artists, the city and our partners heard some things loud and clear:

So, we came up with a (ok, not so original; #2; #3) solution: temporary retail space so that Portland artists and designers can fill together to showcase and sell their work. Tangible results? Pop Up Stores! These stores add vibrancy to our downtown retail core, which is the most active retail area in the region, providing retail options for those of us who work downtown, attracting folks who live outside of the urban core for a dynamic downtown experience, and providing a safe, active, and easily navigable retail and diverse entertainment for tourists.

We talked to the owner of Looptworks to learn more about the company and to get a sense of what this opportunity means to the business. Take a look at the video:

Check out our key partner, the Downtown Marketing Initiative, for more developments downtown, and take a look at our emerging downtown retail strategy.

Read the O's article from November 4th on another pop-up downtown.

Read the PBA's Press Release about the November 12th event.

Become a fan of Flurry on Facebook!

 Approximately 94 percent of Portland businesses have fewer than 50 employees. Undoubtedly, Portland is a small business city. At today's City Council meeting, the Portland Development Commission (PDC) unveiled that it is an agency more than capable of serving the needs and requirements of these businesses through new divisions with a dedicated staff of more than 35 professionals.

Small businesses and Portland area neighborhoods can now look to a specific section within the PDC to access resources to improve their storefronts, apply for loans and grants, seek technical assistance and access the broader economy.

“One of my priorities when I entered office was to create a division within PDC to focus on small business and community economic development,” said Mayor Sam Adams. “Byron Estes, the Director of PDC’s new Neighborhood Division, has helped to get this new division up and running and effectively reposition PDC as an organization that does much more than downtown real estate development.” 

In the presentation to Council, Commissioner Charles Wilhoite and PDC’s Executive Director, Bruce Warner, highlighted a number of key initiatives focusing on commercial district revitalization, including Portland’s Main Street program, commercial streetscape projects in areas such as Kenton and 102nd Avenue and the N/NE Economic Development Initiative.

The Mayor and PDC also announced the creation of a new business hotline, 503-865-4BIZ, which is scheduled to go live in early December. This new hotline will connect businesses with City bureaus and the PDC for questions regarding storefront improvement grants, business finance loans, permit, tax and license matters.

The hotline will complement a business Web site for Portland through which businesses will be able to process permit, tax, and license matters, view a calendar of citywide events, and find out information about organizations that provide business assistance services. A beta version of the business Web site is scheduled for release in January.

To view PDC's presentation to Council, click here.

On October 28^th, the Mayor’s Economic Development Policy Director, Kimberly Schneider, and representatives from the Portland Development Commission (PDC) presented the first of two updates on the City’s 5-Year Economic Development Strategy. This presentation was intended to bring City Council and the public up-to-speed on the development of financial resources to support the strategy as well as track progress on the implementation of the action items within the strategy.

Approved by City Council on July 8, 2009, the strategy began development in late 2008 when Mayor Adams charged the PDC with developing a targeted strategy to guide the city's and the PDC's investment in economic development. “We have needed this kind of strategy for a very long time," said Sandra McDonough, Executive Director of the Portland Business Alliance. "This is a critical roadmap that will help us restore our economy today and improve our economy down the road.”

The presentation on October 28^th, which you can find on the strategy’s Web site, served as a quarterly update and included a recap of the strategy itself, which focuses on a three-tiered approach to job creation efforts: (1) Maximize Competitiveness, (2) Urban Innovation, and (3) Neighborhood Business Vitality. Because of the volume of content, the October 28^th report focused on Goals 1 and 2, citing key achievements to date, such as: recruiting Revolt Technologies to establish their US headquarters in Portland, City Council adoption of Open Source Resolution (in part to support our burgeoning software industries) and lobbying the federal government for $20M for the Oregon Sustainability Center. The report also included action plans for the coming year and 2-5 year periods.

A report on Goal 3 from the PDC Neighborhood Business team will be presented to Council at the City Council meeting (item 1585) this Thursday, November 12^th.

Read the Mercury’s article on the October 28^th presentation and the strategy itself and the Mayor’s efforts at implementation.

In an October 22nd press release, Nissan North America announced that is plug-in electric vehicle, the LEAF, will make its first U.S. appearance this Fall. The vehicle will make it up to Portland on December 17-23.

This news follows the announcement this past summer that $100M in ARRA (federal stimulus) money was awarded to Ecotality's eTec for the development of infrastructure and deployment of electric vehicles (the Nissan LEAF) in 5 key markets across the United States. Oregon was named one of those markets and is slated to receive 1000 vehicles in Fall 2010 for consumer purchase, which will be accompanied by a complimentary charging station. Additionally, Etec will deploy 1500 charging stations in key locations throughout Oregon for easy and reliable access for those who do purchase a LEAF or another plug-in electric vehicle.

The Mayor is visiting the Nissan headquarters in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan this coming week. He plans to discuss these developments with top company officials and thank Nissan for choosing Portland as one of their test markets. This office is hopeful that Portlanders, who have long been early adopters of sustainable modes of transportation (think about our ranking of #1 in the nation in per capita purchases of Toyota Priuses), will be eager to integrate this new type of transportation into their lives.

Go check out the LEAF when it's in Portland!

From the Nissan press release:

The Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour will make stops in 22 cities, in 11 states, the District of Columbia, and Vancouver, Canada, offering the opportunity for interested drivers, media, civic partners, businesses and university students to learn more about the Nissan LEAF and the benefits of zero-emission driving.

6:44 pm EST, Friday, October 16, 2009

Washington D.C. Lobbying report:

If we were from any other city, I am not sure the federal agencies would have taken our proposal seriously.  Luckily, we are a delegation from Portland, Oregon.  So we have enough “green street cred” to get a meeting.

Our pitch to 12 federal offices in 2 days: partner with us to build the Oregon Sustainability Center -- a project with real national impact. The greenest, most ready-to-go building project in the nation.  A project that can help compete with China’s $200 billion, five-year push to be the world’s hub of clean-technology products and services.

A schematic design has been rendered; engineering drawings are what is needed next.  The initial feasibility study is complete. The conclusion? This building will work.  The Governor and the Oregon Univesity System have budgeted $80 million in bonding authority.  The City and PDC have penciled in $15 million.  Over the past two days, we have lobbied Capitol Hill to help us close a $35 million project budget gap to launch the Oregon Sustainability Center.

Getting to “yes” on projects like this never happens in one meeting; it takes months, sometimes years.  But the initial reaction to our pitch for funding Oregon Sustainability Center has been a bit of “shock and awe” to the climate-positive goal of this project, but very positive.  The federal government yet does not readily have a single “go-to” funding source for cross-disciplinary sustainable projects like ours.  We will have to look for smaller funding sources for specific elements of the project.

My thanks to the delegation I lobbied with over the past two days, including a diverse set of project partners across the labor, public, private, nonprofit, and education sectors. Together, we will make this project a reality, and keep Portland on the leading edge of the green revolution.

Related Links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L-kT98sVPk

http://oregonsustainabilitycenter.wordpress.com/

http://oregonbest.org/

http://www.pdxinstitute.org/

http://www.oeconline.org/our-work/living-building-initiative

http://www.bullitt.org/news/oregon-to-develop-first-of-its-kind-201cliving-building201d-to-extend-region2019s-sustainability-strengths-leadership

Portland is a leader in sustainable and healthy living, and it's celebrated for its innovation and forward thinking. But sustainability isn't just about the economy and the environment. Social sustainability, including public health and social equity, is also a key aspect of a completely sustainable community.

The National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM) is a giant step in the direction of building a healthier community and achieving social sustainability. As Portland's largest natural health care clinic, NCNM will provide health care to nearly 20,000 Portlanders and train hundreds of students to be natural health care professionals in its first year of operation.

Mayor Adams had the opportunity to speak at the clinic's grand opening and articulate the value that NCNM brings to our community. Take a look and congratulations to NCNM!

This morning, SolarCity announced the creation of the PurePower Service, which will provide Portland homeowners with solar panels for no up front costs. According to the Mayor, the program addresses the most significant impediment to solar panel installation in Portland homes:

"Financing has traditionally been a barrier to going green, and especially to going solar," said Portland Mayor Sam Adams. "This summer, we launched Clean Energy Works Portland, a program to remove up-front cost barriers so homeowners can do energy retrofits. Now, with SolarCity's innovative approach, Portlanders will have one more affordable way to reduce their emissions, save energy, and contribute to Portland's sustainability."

In anticipation of an uptick in residential solar demand when the installations begin in March, the company expects to hire 20 new employees in Oregon and move into a new facility to accommodate their growth.

Headquartered in California, SolarCity has an office in Portland and has been active in the Portland and Oregon market since the company's founding in 2006. As "the nation's leading full-service solar provider for homeowners, businesses and government organizations," SolarCity is well poised to deliver on the promises of their PurePower Service and we expect that many Portlanders will join the queue for solar adoption because of this kind of program.

While energy efficiency is probably universally considered beneficial, many homeowners find it difficult to absorb the upfront costs of retrofitting their houses with new light bulbs, windows, and insulation and find it especially difficult to add expensive infrastructure like solar panels or new heating systems. Programs like the city's pilot program, Clean Energy Works Portland, and SolarCity's PurePower service provide accessibility to energy efficiency, effectively addressing the historic socioeconomic barriers to sustainable living. In his commitment to the three tenants of sustainability - economic, environmental, and social sustainability - Mayor Adams is incredibly supportive of programs that allow all Portlanders to achieve energy efficiencies in their homes.

Get yourself started on the new program from SolarCity.

Check out the Clean Energy Works Portland pilot program and see if your home qualifies.

This weekend, the Mayor stopped by Jazz on the Mississippi - an event that was put on by The Diversity Institute. The Diversity Institute’s mission is to provide access, accountability, communication, education and relationship building with private and government entities to those who seek a brighter tomorrow; for our future is forged today. And they also know how to put on a good time.

PDC was a cosponsor of this event and the event was the official kick-off of the  N/NE Economic Development Initiative (NNEDI) sponsored by the PDC. From the NNEDI website:

The North/Northeast Economic Development Initiative, which is currently underway, includes an analysis of past and planned investments, possible boundary adjustments and priorities for new investments in the Interstate Corridor and Oregon Convention Center Urban Renewal Areas. The Portland Development Commission (PDC) is conducting the N/NE Economic Development Initiative in partnership with the community to ensure that PDC investments enhance livability and economic opportunity within the two urban renewal areas and the city at-large.

The kick-off was a great community event, the music was fantastic, and the study will promote livability and social equity in our vibrant N/NE neighborhoods. We hope to see more of this going forward.

Become a fan of the NNEDI on Facebook

Joint Statement from Metro President David Bragdon, Portland Mayor Sam Adams and Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler

Today we have agreed that now is not the right time to move forward with predevelopment efforts to build a convention center headquarters hotel due to the current economic climate. Estimates we received this week of likely future revenues for the Visitor Development Initiative are not sufficient to support the project’s predevelopment costs. The tourism and hospitality industries have been hit hard by the national economic recession.

The Portland metropolitan area remains an attractive tourist destination, an important economic center for the region and a vibrant hub of the arts and cultural activities. We acknowledge and are grateful for the efforts of many individuals who have worked hard on this project.

Job creation and economic development remain critical goals for our respective organizations and we will continue to work together in pursuit of those objectives. The current climate requires a focus on maintaining what we have and we will work with partners and stakeholders to develop new strategies for making the most of our existing facilities.

Mayor Sam Adams announced today the Mayor’s International Investment Awards, an annual program to be held each fall in an ongoing effort to acknowledge companies that are committed to Portland’s future economic growth.  The awards program will recognize international investors for their commitment to the Portland region and their ability to create new, family wage jobs in the area.   

“Portland is home to some fantastic companies, from the small start-up to the global enterprise,” said Mayor Adams.  “We want to acknowledge and reward those businesses that are making investments and contributing to the growth of living-wage jobs here in Portland.”

The inaugural Mayor’s International Investment Awards will take place in the Grand Ballroom of the Governor Hotel from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27, 2009.  The semi-formal event includes a welcome by the mayor, dinner and a notable guest speaker addressing beneficial impacts to our regional economy generated by international investment.    The evening will conclude with the mayor’s presentation of International Investment Awards to winners in three categories of investment.

Mayor Adams has asked the Portland Development Commission to team with the Regional Partners, Oregon Business Development Department, the Port of Portland and other major economic development partners to carry out this ambitious program.  The International Investment Awards program will provide a platform to highlight programs and incentives that the PDC and its partners have to offer businesses considering expansion or investment, including the Enterprise Zone and the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which underscores the city’s continued commitment to encourage businesses to incorporate lean principles into their operations.

“The city’s economic development strategy calls out our commitment to recognize  international investors for their leadership in community development and job creation,” said PDC chair Scott Andrews. “We’re very pleased to help launch the Mayor’s International Investment Awards as part of that strategy.”

Interested companies are asked to submit an entry form by October 1, 2009.  All proprietary information submitted will remain confidential.   Forms and additional information are available at www.pdc.us/mayorawards.    For more information contact Kevin Johnson at PDC, 503-823-1176 or johnsonk@pdc.us.