Oregon Convention Center

The Oregon Convention Center Urban Renewal Area (OCCURA) was originally conceived and adopted to take advantage of the significant investment that was made in eastside MAX and the Oregon Convention Center. Plans call for leveraging these important projects to facilitate the redevelopment of the Lloyd District, increase its economic viability and role within the central city and improve its connection to downtown.

The boundaries of the OCC URA have been amended a number of times, and at one point included parts of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Alberta Street, which are now part of the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area.   The current URA’s integration with the Central City and the Lloyd Center has led to strong growth for the Lloyd District and investment from public and private stakeholders in area planning, public infrastructure, and key site acquisition for development.

A headquarters hotel has been included in every major plan for the Lloyd District since the urban renewal area was formed in 1989. Goal 1 of the OCC URA Plan is “to maximize the regional job potential of the Oregon Convention Center” by recruiting “at least one headquarters hotel in the immediate vicinity of the OCC.” Prosper Portland is partnering with Metro, City of Portland, and Multnomah County to jointly invest in the Hyatt Regency Portland, historically known as the Convention Center Hotel.

Lloyd District Objectives

• Build employment, tourism, and housing opportunities
• Capitalize on major public and private investments
• Make transportation and related improvements key to development of the area
• Work with area residents, associations, and businesses to update objectives and project plans as needed, consistent with the URA plan goals.

Accomplishments

• Transportation – The Oregon Convention Center URA and Lloyd District Development Plan prioritized multi-modal transportation as a key aspect of successful development to enhance the character and safety of the area for visitors, businesses, and residents. Prosper Portland has partnered with Go Lloyd (the area’s transportation management association) to implement projects that support these goals with investments in the streetcar line, transit tracking, and pedestrian lights and wayfinding, representing a total of $3 million in Prosper Portland investment. Go Lloyd manages several initiatives to support the area’s transit users, including employer and employee transit pass programs, a transportation store with bike equipment, repair, and storage, and ongoing consultation on transit strategies. Prosper Portland is a member of the Go Lloyd Board of Directors.
• Lloyd EcoDistrict – The Lloyd EcoDistrict is one of Portland’s original ecodistricts and has been hailed as a national model for implementing a framework to support sustainable development and ongoing operations at a district scale. The organization convenes businesses and residents to achieve the vision set forth in the organization’s action plan – to build the most sustainable living-and-working district in North America. This triple-bottom-line approach seeks to improve the district’s environmental performance while setting the stage for new economic ventures and increasing equity for district inhabitants.
  
• Hassalo on Eighth – Hassalo on Eighth is Portland’s next generation mixed-use development within the Lloyd EcoDistrict. The project was developed by American Assets Trust, which used the project to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability and placemaking by redefining the residential quality of life for the neighborhood. Completed in 2015, Hassalo on Eighth encapsulates the EcoDistrict framework with neighborhood-level design and consideration of key ideals including habitat, transportation, water, energy, materials, waste, health, operation, social equity, beauty, and community. In 2017, the property was recognized for its sustainability with the Project of the Year award from the U.S. Green Building Council LEED Homes.
• Streetcar – The Portland Streetcar began service in 2001 with a 2.4-mile alignment on the west side of the Willamette River. It has since expanded to the east side and completes a full 16-mile track in the Central City. Roughly 16,000 riders use the streetcar each month. Prosper Portland invested $10 million into the alignment going through the Lloyd District, to further the multi-model offerings in the neighborhood. The line has invigorated the neighborhood by supporting high-density development like the Hassalo on Eighth project.

Oregon Convention Center URA Boundaries Map