Growing Pains: Portland's Alberta Street Embraces New Initiatives, Challenges and Optimism

Yesterday was the last Thursday of July. In the early afternoon, artists began staking out their spot along Alberta Street to display their wares. Restaurants and bars prepped their sidewalk seating and extra staff arrived to handle the swell in customers. Portland police shut down the street to car traffic, and the crowds grew exponentially as afternoon became evening.

While more than 10,000 people enjoyed the impromptu entertainment that lately pops up on nearly every corner—bands, drum circles, fire dancers—the party spilled out into side streets and continued past the 10 p.m. “end” time. And some residents like Bill Leissner did everything they could to avoid the hullabaloo, leaving their neighborhood or holing up at home until their usually calm and charming streets were back to normal. “When it gets hot, I just crank my music and put the fan in the window. I just try to tolerate it,” Leissner tells me.

A band plays in the street at May's Last Thursday.

Since 1997, when Last Thursday was born as a low-key art walk, it has become probably the most popular—and contentious—neighborhood street festival in the city. Weissner loved the event when he moved to the Concordia neighborhood eight years ago, when he could wander from gallery to gallery and collect affordable local art for his home. Business owners—including Guardino Gallery owner Donna Guardino who helped start Last Thursday—agree that the event provides invaluable exposure to businesses, even as the focus has shifted away from the art and more to the extreme block party during the summer months.

But it’s the issues like garbage, amplified noise, illegal parking, and public drunkenness and urination that got increasingly out of hand over the past couple years and finally resulted in a Mayor Sam Adams-led community meeting this past February. Over 300 residents and business owners expressed their concerns, and ultimately, overwhelming support for Last Thursday. The goal was to figure out a way for the city to curtail their involvement (and $10,000-plus monthly expense) and come up with a plan for the community to run the event in a way that manages the chaos and again highlights the fun, laid-back, and creative spirit of the street that everyone loves.

The current status: The City continues its logistic and financial support while the fledging community-run Friends of Last Thursday group (FoLT) works on getting an organized structure and plan in place to (hopefully) take over Last Thursday in 2011.

Top left: Police deal with public drunkenness. Top right: litter left on the sidewalk.
Bottom: Trash on a resident's property at the end of the event.

Of course, that has not been an easy or quick process. Nearly six months after the February 8th Town Hall meeting, many problems have not been resolved, and according to some, have only gotten worse. “It is one of the most complicated things I’ve ever been involved with,” says Stephanie Reynolds, the City’s Crime Prevention Program Manager, who has been facilitating Last Thursday logistics for the past four years between the community and the ten city, county, and state agencies that provide services. “There are so many different stakeholder groups and a lot of dissenting opinions.”

In February, over 50 people pledged that they wanted to be involved in finding a workable solution. But according to Leissner, who is on the FoLT coordinating committee, only a handful have shown up at their last few meetings. “I think lot of the neighbors who are most impacted feel a sense of futility,” he explains. “The rules that apply to any other event in the city don’t seem to apply here. It feels like Burning Man gets plunked down in our neighborhood every month. I think that the City allowed it to get to this point [by not enforcing the laws], and they’re now trying to shove the responsibility for bringing it under control onto us.”

From the City’s point of view, they have spent more on Last Thursday then any other neighborhood festival, and with budgets shrinking, they simply cannot keep shouldering that burden.

Bike jousting and this unique unicycle are regulars at Last Thursday.

Meanwhile, business owners who were involved in grassroots organization for many years have virtually given up, frustrated by what they see as new complications. Binks owner Bianca Youngers, who along with her husband Justin, had been coordinating donations for a dozen porta potties every month until June, is no longer involved. “The City is trying to run [Last Thursday] from a City standpoint. They ended up chasing everybody away who was already volunteering—it’s been committee after meeting after time,” she says. “We had to go through all this red tape to get the same thing done that we were doing.” She now says the past two Last Thursdays were the worst she's ever seen, with more trash and either locked or no porta potties at all.

Youngers is certainly not alone. Stacey Matney, owner of Pie Footwear and co-president of the Alberta Street Business Association, expressed a similar sentiment: “It went from trying to get a core group of people together to brainstorm how to make the event more manageable to let’s get everyone involved. It’s too many people, to me, that it’s gone really nowhere.”

And yet, some feel that the division between groups who all have the same goal—to get Last Thursday back to a more positive place—has impeded the progress toward that very goal. “It’s become political, about control, rather than us all pitching in. It’s all turned kind of petty,” claims Leissner.

Reynolds echoes that opinion: “If everyone exerted as much energy helping with the event instead of railing against the City, the event would already be community-run and going well.”

And really, that’s the light at the end of this long and winding tunnel. Hopefully by next year, any complaints about the City’s involvement will be a moot point as residents and business owners are able to manage Last Thursday with an organized plan. The challenge is finding a balance between what only the City can control and reasonably afford (law enforcement, street closures) and how the community can empower itself and gather the financial support needed to curb the disorder. Everyone wants the same thing: “…trying to get the party and garage sale aspect off the street and focus back on the art,” according to Youngers, and “to reclaim the quality of life in our neighborhood,” says Leissner.

But an organization must emerge that will take responsibility for Last Thursday. After a retreat on August 16, there are signs that FoLT, despite some recent challenges, could be that group of passionate people who will make sure the event remains a vibrant and positive defining experience for the neighborhood. Says Reynolds, “FoLT is a group of really talented and knowledgeable people; collectively, they have a tremendous amount to offer to the event. Once they start working together in harmony it will be a really good thing.”

 During the sweep to open Alberta Street at the end of the evening, the temporary trash and recycling containers are collected.

Alberta Street Chosen as Main Street District

There is even more reason for a refreshing sense of neighborhood optimism since Alberta Street was named one of Portland’s first three Main Street Districts last month. (Read previous NN articles about the Main Street Program here.) Modeled after similar programs in Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Boston, and supported by the National Trust Main Street Center, the Portland Development Commission launched our local version late last year to “revitalize commercial districts, support small businesses, and foster economic development in Portland neighborhoods” (download the Main Street FAQ for many more details). During the first six months of 2010, neighborhoods worked to complete the extensive 34-page application, raise $30,000 from the community, and gather 50 letters of support. Ultimately, five Portland districts reached the selection committee. (St. Johns and Hillsdale were the other two selected Districts.)

Alberta’s initiative was spearheaded by Diane Coward and Stacey Matney, co-presidents of the Alberta Street Business Association. According to Claudia Plaza, PDC’s Main Street Coordinator, the neighborhood stood out to the selection committee with not only their application (which demonstrated the community’s assets like volunteer involvement and sustainable practices), but also how quickly they were able to gather financial pledges and letters. “It was impressive how many neighbors and customers wrote in support, talking very passionately about their love for the district,” Plaza remarks.

Diane Coward, owner of Fuel Cafe and co-president of the
Alberta Street Business Association

But now that Alberta has been selected, what does it mean to be one of Portland’s first Main Street Districts? (The District officially spans from 15th to 31st Avenues.) In short, the neighborhood’s organizers will set up an interim board and four volunteer committees, establish the 501c3, hire a Main Street Manager (with the $30,000 they raised matched by the City to provide a yearly salary) and open a Main Street office, all of which will facilitate neighborhood projects and improvements. Since Portland’s Urban Main Street Program is the first with a green focus, the PDC is also providing a $5,000 sustainability grant; the Main Streets will also receive a $3,000 promotion grant, a $20,000 district improvement grant, and services from the chosen Main Street architect. The National Trust, meanwhile, will provide training and support as each Main Street Program gets up and running. Financial and technical support will continue for three years, until each Main Street Program becomes a self-sustaining nonprofit.

Interstate Corridor URA Expansion

At the same time, Alberta is well on its way to becoming part of the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area. A Community Advisory Committee assembled by the PDC voted to expand the city’s largest URA to include Alberta (as well as St. Johns Town Center and areas of MLK Jr. Blvd., Killingsworth Ave., and Lombard St.—download the detailed recommendations here), which means that property owners will be eligible to apply for various grants including storefront improvements and green features. “It’s like Alberta has missing teeth—there are the good parts and then there are vacant buildings. Part of this is really to get Alberta 100% going,” says PDC Public Participation Manager Joleen Jensen-Classen.

The hope is for the URA amendment to go through by the end of the year, after PDC evaluates plans for the Rose Quarter development, and the timing couldn’t be better—had Alberta already been added to the URA, the neighborhood would not have been eligible for the Main Street Program. But now the Main Street office will be an invaluable resource providing information and guidance for the community to take advantage of the URA benefits. “It’s going to help the people who really need that money to get it,” Matney says.

Changes Breed Confusion, Skepticism

With all these changes happening at once, it’s not surprising that some business owners are confused, even skeptical of how the City will be involved, and some residents are worried that the Main Street program will end up benefitting only businesses. Not so, Coward wants to clarify. Even though the Alberta Main Street organization will take the place of the current Business Association, it will reach far beyond that current group. “It’s a very holistic approach,” she tells me. “The goal of the program is to benefit everybody, not just businesses. It’s also for residents, people even outside the residents—it just trickles out.”

Indeed, Matney expects that 30-40 community members will need to get involved as volunteers. “This is a community-run initiative. The City is not going to tell us what to do. What we’re going to do is really going to come from the community,” she explains.

Both Coward and Matney understand that many questions are probably the result of how little time they had to involve the community in the application process. So one of the first goals of the board is to get as much input from possible from the public. (Email AlbertaMainStreet@gmail.com to ask questions, share ideas, and/or get involved as a volunteer.) “We want to make sure everyone’s voices are being heard,” Matney says. “There are all these great ideas, but people often just don’t have the time to actually make them happen. Having the ability to hire a full-time Main Street staff person is going to be key to getting things done.”

So start brainstorming! A few initial ideas that Matney and Coward shared with me: more public trash and recycling receptacles, demonstration landscaping that include edible gardens and open space, a business group buying program for compostable goods, a neighborhood composting program, and building design guidelines that include LEED and other eco-friendly elements. (Down the line, Main Street’s organization and leadership may also benefit Last Thursday.)

New Development Raises Concerns

In fact, it was some concern over new construction on the street that, according to Coward, was a bit of a “wakeup call for the Business Association to go after the Main Street program.” Both the Alberta Mercantile building on 14th and the Alberta Central development on 18th went up so quickly, it made those involved with the Business Association realize that they should have more of a vision about what would (and would not) keep the unique character of the street. Which is not to say that Main Street wants to be provincial. “We’re not anti-development,” says Coward, “but if you’re going to develop here, let’s do something that’s going to enhance the neighborhood and still meet your bottom line.”

Coward loves the diverse mix of local businesses at Alberta Mercantile—the Screaming Sky Gallery, Art & Sole, Café Hibiscus, Modern Domestic, and ZoomCare. Even though the latter is a local chain, she thinks more services on the street are much needed. After all, one of Main Street’s goals is to get the neighborhood to a point where residents don’t have to leave the community to get what they need. From that perspective, it’s hard to argue with Umpqua Bank’s new community store in Alberta Central, which opened just last week. There were no banks on the street previously, and with initiatives like the Build Your Block Challenge—which allows the community to vote on a neighborhood project to receive $10,000—Umpqua looks to be a positive addition to Alberta.

Some are concerned with Alberta Central in general, though—that the scale and design stand out too much on the street, or that Barista II went in practically across the street from Random Order Coffeeshop, an example of how they may not be considering the best mix of tenants for the neighborhood as a whole.

Other appreciate the simple fact that the former Highland Temple, closed since 2007, is no longer empty, and that developer Nate Celko used the old building to expand upon and included dedicated open space with the plaza on the street. Celko also points out that Alberta Central is the first professional office space on the street, with several graphic design and web development companies bringing a new layer to the arts district. Ultimately, “there will be close to 50 new people working on Alberta, which is only a good thing for the other businesses.”

At the other end of the street, the Alberta Rose Theatre promises to attract new people to the neighborhood as well. Amazingly, it’s the first dedicated performing arts venue in the Alberta Arts District. Owner Joe Cawley saved up for the past ten years to make this dream come true, and though he didn’t specifically look for a spot on the street, when he strumbled across this former movie house (1927-78) and church (since 1980), he had a deal in the works the next day.

A thorough renovation has revealed the gorgeous vintage design of the 278-seat venue. “It’s an old atmospheric theater,” Cawley describes. “It has a Mediterranean courtyard feel, like you’re outside when you’re inside.”

Focusing mostly on music, the Alberta Rose will also host theater groups, dance troupes, movie screenings, and starting in September, the Live Wire Radio shows.

A New Chapter in Alberta Street's Community Story

There is, without a doubt, an incredible energy running up and down Alberta Street. It’s the creative and diverse passions that have fueled Last Thursday for years—is it any surprise that a neighborhood with some renegade roots (Donna Guardino says it was the “wild west” when she bought her building in 1975) is home to an event that breaks the rules? That fiercely independent business owners are dubious about city government plans? That as the community attracts more and more visitors, businesses, and residents, there are some poignant growing pains?

And yet, as hard as it is, change is not always a bad thing. It’s impossible to predict how the URA grants will change the face of the street, and it’s sometimes a challenge to understand how exactly the Main Street Program will work in day-to-day practice. But despite the disagreements over Last Thursday’s evolution and the ups and downs of inevitable development, with visionary neighbors involved in these new organizational supports, Alberta seems poised to come together and write a new chapter in its community story.

One thing's for sure: We'll be watching over the addictive breakfast sandwiches at Pine State Biscuits brand new second outpost on the street. Because who, after all, can disagree over a buttery biscuit?