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| Inside news from the Housing Authority of Portland | September 2007 |
Howard's Way Unites Neighbors at The Morrison and The Civic
The final touches are underway at The Morrison, HAP's newest
low-income housing complex, as managers prepare to receive new
residents by the end of November. A special ceremony is
scheduled for October 12 to celebrate the unique partnership
forged between HAP and Gerding Edlen Development (GED), that gave rise
to the innovative mixed-income, mixed-use community represented by The
Morrison and GED's The Civic condominiums.
Visitors will gather on Howard's Way, the new plaza that unites the two buildings. "The plaza is named in honor of former HAP board chair Howard Shapiro," said Steve Rudman, HAP executive director. "This is a perfect place to recognize his work in creating partnerships and bringing people together around a common purpose." A signature feature of the plaza will be a large-scale stainless steel sculpture by noted Oregon metal sculptor Lee Kelly, which was commissioned to recognize Shapiro's contributions and reflect his views of life and community.
New
Columbia Enjoys Active, Quiet Summer
Summer
at New Columbia was full of dawn-to-dusk positive activities for kids
and families living in the neighborhood.
The CREW summer program - Children Respecting Each Other Worldwide - had 100 kids participate in summer basketball camps, tournaments and a Teen Summit. Nearly 30 summer jobs were created through a youth employment partnership. And a $12,000 grant brought seniors and kids together in daily fun and educational activities. "All of our community partners pooled great ideas and resources to keep New Columbia's parks and playgrounds full of activity during the day and quiet in the evening," said John Keating, assistant director, community building.
The Boys & Girls Club ran limited programs through the summer and opened its full program on September 10 in its first new club in over 11 years. Designed to work collaboratively with Rosa Parks Elementary School and University Park Community Center, the 21,000 square foot building offers a game room, literacy center, teen center, and through its shared space, a full kitchen, art room, computer lab and music room. University Park Community Center celebrated the renovation of its facility as well, which features a new two-court gymnasium to be shared with the school and the club.
Read more about events and activities at New Columbia
HAP PROFILE: Gerding Edlen Development
Gerding
Edlen Development (GED), one of the Northwest's most notable
developers, is wildly successful at large-scale, complex
projects. They could rest on their laurels and do the same
project over and over again, but thankfully, they're always
looking for the next challenge.
And bringing together The Civic and The Morrison was a challenge in more ways than one. "The site itself is very unusual," said Tom Cody, GED's partner-in-charge of the development. "With the lot's irregular shape and location at the confluence of Burnside, several one-way streets, and the proximity of PGE Park, it was full of exciting possibilities. We couldn't pass up this opportunity to master plan a mixed-income, mixed-use development that both fits with its environment and creates a sense of place where all residents feel at home."
Planning The Morrison and The Civic was a meaningful experience for all involved. "This is a complex where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts," continued Cody. "This will be a community in which the residents will thrive and the neighborhood will thrive. We'd like to think this is the first of many projects like this that we can do with HAP."
Read more about Gerding Edlen Development
Correction: New Columbia Buildings Earn LEED
Certification
As reported in our August issue of Unwrapped, the Trenton North and Trenton South buildings in HAP's New Columbia neighborhood were awarded LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Equal thanks for this achievement is due to the Portland architectural firm of Robertson Merryman Barnes, which designed one of the two honored buildings. Recognition of the firm was overlooked in the original announcement. Unwrapped regrets the error.
Monthly
Reports
Read the latest Dashboard report
Read the latest Humboldt Gardens report
HAP IN THE NEWS
Read more about HAP’s projects,
accomplishments and work in the community.
PORTLAND TRIBUNE: A new Civic hybrid
THE OREGONIAN: Homeless projects planning new building
PHONE: 503-802-8300 • E-MAIL: hapunwrapped@hapdx.org • WEB: www.hapdx.org