NWCC’s Advocacy for Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts to Support Pearl District Community
Prosper Portland approved 6 new Tax Increment Financing Districts - the Pearl District is not included in the existing plan.
NWCC's Dedicated Efforts in Championing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts for the Pearl: Strengthening the District and Supporting Our Community
The majority of the Pearl District’s exclusion from the proposed Westside TIF district leaves our older properties without future city development dollars and supports needed at a time of struggling businesses, high commercial vacancies, and increasing demands for job creation to support the Broadway corridor development, including 230 proposed affordable housing units. Make your voice heard at City Hall to include the Pearl district in the proposed Westside TIF district.- Ken Thrasher, Board Chair, NWCC
August 28, 2024
Board of Commissioners
Prosper Portland
222 SW 5th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97209
Re: Approval Process for TIF Districts
Dear Prosper Portland Board of Commissioners:
On behalf of the Northwest Community Conservancy (“NWCC”) and the Pearl District businesses and residents, we would like to formally lodge a challenge to the TIF district committee process used to recommend new TIF districts to Portland’s City Council for approval this fall.
A number of issues have come to our attention that question why a majority of the Pearl district was excluded from the Westside TIF district. They include;
1. The Pearl District was not represented in the process and should have been
2. The data used was flawed because the committee didn’t understand the true business and other issues facing the Pearl District.
3. The committee selectively included parts of the Pearl District (North Park blocks, Powell’s Book building, Doc Martin shoes building) in the Westside TIF district and didn’t fairly consider other areas in the Pearl District or solicit local input
4. The Pearl District has been systematically excluded from Central City actions despite the Governor’s task force saying we all should be included (leaders in the Pearl District had to intervene to get the City business tax credit extended to the Pearl District in February 2024)
5. The new TIF districts are forward-looking, not based on what was previously done
6. With 115 street-level commercial vacancies, one of the highest rates in the City, businesses suffering 10-30% sales declines since 2019, city-imposed regulations hurting businesses, property values down 20-30%, no meaningful City marketing to benefit the Central City, and minimal services being provided to the Pearl district, the City can’t afford for areas like the Pearl district to struggle economically
7. Prosper Portland just provided us data that shows the Pearl District area that was requested by the committee to be included in the proposed Westside TIF district was valued at four times the assessed value as the included Westside TIF properties, despite over one-half of the properties being older sites.
8. Since NWCC is investing $1 million annually in community resources to effectively and humanely deal with homelessness, drugs, mental health issues, vandalism, and crime, we think it makes a strong case to be included in the Westside TIF district plan for the Pearl District. NWCC is doing the city’s and county’s work in the Pearl District to improve safety, livability, and business outcomes, in addition to residents and businesses paying high taxes and getting low service levels. NWCC has been more effective at less cost than government resources and reports accountability metrics monthly.
We request you reconsider our request to include the portion of the Pearl District we proposed in the Westside TIF district. We look forward to discussing this with you further.
Ken Thrasher
NWCC Board Chair
Ken.thrasher49@gmail.com
TAKE ACTION
Contact your city council and advocate for the Pearl District to be included in the TIF District plan.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Wed, October 23, 2024, at 2:00 pm
Portland City Council Chambers
1900 SW Fourth Avenue, Room 2500, Portland, OR 97201
Public Hearing to be held on six proposed TIF Plans: Westside; Central Eastside Corridor; Lloyd-Holladay; East 205; 82nd Avenue Area; Sumner-Parkrose-Argay-Columbia Corridor. Learn more
