Contact: Shawn Uhlman, PDC, 503-823-7994
June 11, 2012
The Portland Development Commission (PDC) has announced its intent to award $338,495 in Community Livability Grants to projects in the Interstate Corridor (ICURA) and Lents Town Center (LTC URA) Urban Renewal Areas for fiscal year 2012-13.
PDC’s evaluation committee, composed of community members and PDC staff, selected nine projects in the ICURA to receive full or partial funding totaling $273,495, including a universally-accessible playground area at Arbor Lodge Park, a bicycle repair hub and skills track at New Columbia, a small orchard and perennial food forest in the Overlook neighborhood, and a historic building preservation in the Eliot neighborhood. In the LTC URA, PDC awarded one grant of $65,000 for a workforce development center.
For the first time, grant applicants were required to make a good faith effort to contract with State of Oregon certified Minority-Owned, Woman-Owned, or Emerging Small Businesses (M/W/ESBs). That effort is expected to result in at least $320,000 in work for M/W/ESB contractors. In addition, two of the projects intend to partner with job training organizations (Constructing Hope and Oregon Tradeswomen) for portions of the work.
To view the complete list of fund recipients visit: www.pdc.us/clg
The Community Livability Grant Program, administered by PDC, awards funding annually to projects that involve physical improvements to community facilities, open spaces or historic/cultural preservation. The program invests in facilities and other neighborhood assets in the Interstate Corridor and Lents Town Center that improve livability for residents and enhance the unique nature of these Portland neighborhoods.
Since 2006, PDC has awarded more than $2.1 million to 38 organizations for 50 community livability projects in the Interstate and Lents URAs, an investment that has leveraged more than $1.6 million in other funds and volunteer labor. Grant awards have ranged from $3,500 to more than $100,000.
