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THE I-5 ROSE QUARTER IMPROVEMENT PROJECT CREATES A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT HISTORIC ALBINA
In November 2022, we shared a newsletter about the legacy of the historic Albina community. To further raise awareness of Albina's rich and diverse history, we've launched a webpage on the project website detailing the neighborhood's industrial beginnings in the early 1900s, its time as a booming center for music in the 1940s and 50s, and as a hub for art and inspiration today. The webpage also explores subjects such as the civil rights movement and the devastating impacts of Portland's urban renewal projects.
Acknowledging and centering the history of Albina is at the heart of the project's value of working toward restorative justice for the Albina community. Knowing the wrongs inflicted on the community in the past helps inform how we do business differently now and in the future. Read more on the new History of Albina page.
PROJECT PARTNERS FEATURED ON AN EPISODE OF THE BLACK BEAT PODCAST
In December 2022, Dr. Steven Holt and DeAngelo Moaning sat down with the CEO of Flossin Media, John Washington, for an episode of the Black Beat podcast. Dr. Steven Holt is the Principal of Try Excellence, LLC and a Strategic Advisor to the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project. DeAngelo Moaning is the Chief of Staff at Raimore Construction* and a Community Involvement Coordinator for the project's public engagement efforts. During the episode, they discuss personal stories about growing up in Portland, what inspired them to do equity work, and what this project means to the Black community and the future of Portland. Watch or listen to the episode on YouTube.
*Hamilton Sundt, a Joint Venture with Raimore Construction, is the project's Construction Manager/General Contractor.
ADD THESE ROSE QUARTER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES TO YOUR CALENDAR
Project staff participated in Self Enhancement Inc.'s Junction Avenue pop-up during the first weekend of February. Attendees shopped some of Portland's favorite Black-owned businesses and stopped by our table to learn about what's ahead for the project in 2023. There was a DJ, an arts and crafts corner for kids and many unique and fun booths to visit, including a hair salon, food vendors, retail clothing and accessory booths, artists, jewelry designers, a digital app developer and a broadcast media business. Look for our engagement staff at more events this spring and summer.
Look for us at two more events later this month. If you have a student at home or you are a student, come check out the many career opportunities in the region at the NW Youth Careers Expo on February 22, 2023, or celebrate Oregon Engineers Week on February 28, 2023. We'll be exhibiting at both; stop by our table to learn about the future of infrastructure construction and design and what it takes to be involved or employed in the industry. Find additional information about the project's workforce opportunities on the project website. Bookmark the site—we'll be making more workforce announcements and adding more opportunities to the website as the project gets closer to construction.
SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PUBLIC COMMENTS UPDATE
Consistent with our value of transparent decision-making, we're compiling the comments received from the Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) public comment period into a Public Comment Report. The report will be posted to the website in February.
The 50-day public comment period closed at midnight on January 4, 2023. An official Comment Summary Report with responses will be available later this spring. There will be more announcements regarding the SEA in the coming months, including the Federal Highway Administration's environmental decision on the project.