Downtown Portland

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By Jonathan Brinkman

It turns out that empty-nesters with excess discretionary income are not the only ones who gravitate to Portland's urban core.  To attract top talent, software companies are briskly filling large, open spaces in older downtown Portland buildings with fresh faces, ideas and energy.

Every Third Thursday

Join us at Art Spark on April 17th!

Living Room Theaters 5-7pm

Click here to learn more.

Alan Rose

Second Annual Comic & Illustration Show!

First Thursday April 3rd 5-7pm

City Hall 1221 SW 4th

FREE and open to the public!

Great Wall of China Youth Orchestra

 

 Great Wall Youth Orchestra

 Every Third Thursday

Tonight March 20th--Join us at Art Spark!

Living Room Theaters 5-7pm

Click here to RSVP

Congratulating the TeamYesterday Sam joined Victoria and Mayor Potter for the opening of the Mercantile's new location downtown at the corner of 7th and Alder. Owner of the Portland's own classic specialty boutique, Victoria, thanked PDC for the storefront improvement funds she received and applauded Sam for being the City's champion for small businesses: "I'm a beneficiary of Sam's support - and the store's a testament to it." Sam commended Victoria and her team for taking on a location that required serious seismic upgrades and their commitment to remaining in the heart of Portland.

The beautiful new location, immediately off Broadway, features cutting edge and classic fashion choices for women. Go check out this great example of a local small business that represents the best in local retailing and world-class architecture and design. Whether you are shopping for hip, sophisticated, fun, or special occasion dressing, you will undoubtedly discover something special at Mercantile!

Gwenn Seemel Keep Portland Weird Art Show!

March 6th 5-7pm

City Hall 1221 SW 4th

FREE and Open to the Public

Portland State University, SMSU 298, 1825 SW Broadway
Thursday, February 14, 2008, Free and open to the public

Student Legal and Mediation Services (SLMS) at Portland State University, in partnership with the Queer Resource Center (QRC), proudly presents "Will You Be My Valentine? The New Oregon Domestic Partnership Law" workshop featuring Attorney Beth A. Allen of Allen2 Law. This event will take place in the SMSU 298 at 1825 SW Broadway, on Thursday, February 14, 2008 from 12:00-1:00pm. This workshop is free of charge and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.

As Sam's Public Advocate for transportation, the year 2007 continued to provide me with abundant opportunities to assist citizens with their questions and concerns regarding City services and projects. Specifically, the insightful and passionate inquiries we received challenged me, along with other bureaus throughout the City, to "think outside the box" and in turn to provide action-oriented responses to citizens seeking results.

On Wednesday August 8, Portland City Council unanimously voted to reduce the hourly threshold that triggers a lobbying entity's obligation to register with the auditors offices. The City Council believes that the threshold reduction will require more entities to disclose their lobbying activities. This action builds on Commissioner Adams' efforts to "daylight" political decision making and create a more accessible city government.

Under the changes, lobbying entities who spend more than eight hours "attempting to influence the official action of City officials" must register with the auditor. Under the original ordinance sponsored by Sam, elected officials and bureau directors must publish their official calendars. This is an effort to disclose who is meeting with city leaders and whose interests are being represented in the decisions of the council.

Roll and Stroll with Portland Citizen's Disability Advisory Committee (PCDAC)

To raise awareness of how people with disabilities get around Portland, the Transportation Subcommittee of Portland's Citizen's Disability Advisory Committee (PCDAC) is hosting a special "Roll and Stroll" event from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday, September 14, outside City Hall. City Commissioners Sam Adams and Dan Saltzman, along with PDOT Director Sue Keil and PCDAC members, will have a chance to use mobility devices that include but are not limited to wheelchairs and goggles along with white canes to assimilate what people with disabilities use daily to access Portland streets and sidewalks.

Proposed changes to the City of Portland's Transportation System Development Charge (TSDC)  program, as well as the list of improvement projects, reflect the direct involvement of several hundred stakeholders over the course of the TSDC Update study.  The Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) -- representing a broad spectrum of Portland's residents, business community and interest groups -- oversaw the project from its inception.

Sam's comments to Council during today's work session:

Thank you for participating in this work session, where we will have the opportunity to discuss at length the status of the city, state, regional and federal efforts to secure capital and operating funds for the Portland Streetcar Loop Project.

This discussion is extremely important for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that we have assembled more outside matching funds for this project than any previous Portland streetcar project. A big thank you is in order to U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Peter DeFazio for their efforts on the federal level and to the Oregon State Legislature for helping us get to where we are today.