A building in Northeast Portland that formerly housed the studios of the Trinity Broadcasting Network was acquired by Metro for redevelopment and for the creation of 120 to 150 new affordable homes in the Montavilla neighborhood — funded in part by the Metro affordable housing bond approved by greater Portland voters in 2018.
The large complex, located off NE Glissan between 74th and 75th Avenues is slated for demolition, and in its place, new housing will be built that will prioritize families and households with very low incomes. The project is a partnership between Metro and the Portland Housing Bureau.
A comprehensive community engagement process has already been launched, which will help Metro and PHB select the right developer and identify the needs of the community. This will take some time, and the actual demolition and redevelopment will not be taking place for another couple of years.
In the interim, Metro received a proposal from the African Youth & Community Organization asking to lease part of the current building. Metro agreed to lease the nonprofit, which works with immigrant and refugee youth approximately 25 percent of the available space at a discounted rent. The two-year lease will span the foreseen length of the engagement and predevelopment process.
The early community engagement process involves a stakeholder group, and there will be a survey going out later this month to gather neighbor feedback on the values the community thinks Metro and PHB should embrace as they develop the new homes.
Once the developer is selected, they will be required to organize neighborhood meetings and other community engagement events. Neighbors and other community members will then have an opportunity to give input on design specifics and other elements of the project.