"...Lastly, if this post wasn't clear about it, this project is going to have to pay for itself."

You're kidding right? LIDs, URDs and TIF don't pay their fair share of the services they use. Their taxes (above a low-level valuation) pay only for the small district in which they reside over a period of many years. Meanwhile, non-LIDs pay for the majority of basic services. The district may be paying for itself in theory, but it gets a free ride as far as all other gummint services are concerned.

Funny how such a Liberal town like Portland excuses the lining of rich developers pockets and the removal of all risk from their investments.