Mayor Adams announces first three “Main Street” districts

June 18, 2010

Portland, Ore – The city of Portland and the Portland Development Commission announced the first three Portland Main Street Districts today at Ladybug Organic Café on N. Lombard St., a neighborhood coffeehouse that represents the collective community commitment that the Main Street program seeks to nurture and develop.

Mayor Sam Adams congratulated St. John’s Main Streets Coalition, NE Alberta Main Street Program and Hillsdale Community Foundation as the initial districts to launch the Portland program, which will be the first urban Green Main Street program in the country.

“My City Council colleagues and I are excited about our partnership with the National Trust. We look forward to a successful inaugural year and future expansion to include new districts,” said Mayor Adams. “I am especially impressed that all five of the finalists in this year’s program managed to raise $30,000 in community support within a very short timeline – no small feat in this economy.”

Multnomah Village Bloc Initiative and 42nd Avenue Main Street Collaborative were also among the five final applicants.

Portland Main Street is a neighborhood commercial district program based on the very successful Main Street® approach used in towns and cities across America to revitalize older, traditional business districts. Portland Main Street follows the lead of urban main street programs in Boston, Chicago, Baltimore and Washington DC, while adding its own unique approach and emphasis on sustainability.

Services for the newly selected districts will begin almost immediately, with board training scheduled for early July. Each of the new Main Street program areas will receive considerable financial and technical assistance and intensive training to embrace and promote its unique assets, while also capitalizing on the abilities of residents, business owners, and volunteers who work and live in the business district.

The Main Street program, part of Mayor Adams’ budget, is closely tied to the Portland Economic Development Strategy, which calls out 20-minute neighborhoods, vibrant commercial corridors and healthy neighborhood businesses as a key objective.

For more information on the Main Street Program, please contact Claudia Plaza at 503-823-3234, plazac@pdc.us. For more information on the Economic Development Strategy, visit www.pdxeconomicdevelopment.com.