July 2007
1. Message from the chair: PDSI board approves
$468,000 holiday lighting billing credit
2. Crime down in central city as PDSI continues
expanded security
3. Work crews focus on 3rd and 4th avenues
4. Sidewalk Ambassadors expand hours
5. Downtown foot traffic remains strong, despite
construction activity
6. Survey looks at downtown shopper preferences
7. Sidewalk Obstruction Ordinance soon to
be in place
8. Downtown Marketing Initiative update
9. Downtown Business Census & Survey published
10. Central City Development Redevelopment
Report available
11. Retail Announcements
12. Downtown Retail Council names new Chair
13. Urban Renewal Area Task Force focuses
on River District
14. Business in Boston?
MEMBER NEWS
15. Oregon Sports Authority and OregonLive.com
announce Summertime Sports in the South Park Blocks
16. 5th Avenue Street Fair
1. Message from the chair: PDSI board approves
$468,000 holiday lighting billing credit
Ron Beltz, PDSI Board Chair
 It
was another successful year for Portland Downtown Services,
Inc (PDSI) and the downtown Business Improvement District
(BID). At its annual meeting in June, the board approved a
reimbursement of nearly half a million dollars, thanks to
savings accrued by efficient management of the holiday lighting
program over the past three holiday seasons. BID members will
see a credit on their semi-annual bills in August and February
for the FY 2008 holiday lighting program downtown. With 785
tress lit this past season, our program is considered the
largest BID operated holiday lighting program in the country.
The BID saw many other significant accomplishments happen
this year. Car prowls went down 27 percent and crime decreased
13 percent overall in downtown in 2006 and is down 17 percent
in the first six months of this year. A new sidewalk obstruction
ordinance passed and homeless day shelters, additional benches,
day lockers and bathrooms were funded by the City of Portland
and PDSI. Our partnership with Central Precinct and Central
City Concern to provide beds for chronic homeless criminal
offenders pushed crime down 71 percent among that target group.
The Drug-Free and Prostitution-Free Zones were extended as
well. As a result, 96 percent of those surveyed in our annual
Business Census and Survey rated downtown safe or very safe.
In addition, more cleaning shifts were added to the Clean
and Safe maintenance program and the Alliance successfully
competed to put the Parks Bureau cleaning and security contracts
under the Clean and Safe umbrella. According to the Business
Census, 73 percent of downtown businesses feel the BID is
clean or very clean.
Alliance staff also focused heavily on downtown retail and
marketing this year, working with PDC and others to keep Carl
Greve Jewelers and other retailers downtown, and continuing
to be active on other retail issues. We completed the Downtown
Retail Strategy Update to guide our efforts over the next
five years, and combined BID funds with the City and PDC for
a new Downtown Retail Advocate.
We successfully hosted 750 attendees at the International
Downtown Association Annual Conference, helped create the
Downtown Marketing Initiative and provided more than $1 million
of in-kind assistance; and worked with TriMet to offset the
effects of construction on downtown businesses. We also published
the Downtown Business Census and Survey and the Downtown Development-Redevelopment
Report, and completed the Pedestrian Traffic Count reports
for December and June.
Our Sidewalk Ambassadors, the eyes and ears of the Clean
and Safe Program, had 71,664 interactions with people visiting
downtown (up 9 percent over last year), and our Community
Justice Program saw its 6,700th defendant participate since
the program began in 2002.
The Government Relations team helped secure the first significant
local business tax relief in 30 years, and worked on other
issues of importance to downtown including Multnomah County
courthouse relocation in downtown, System Development Charges,
jail bed funding, PDC budget review, the Burnside-Couch couplet,
and dumpsters and newspaper racks in the right of way.
The Alliance staff and PDSI board look forward to another
exciting and prosperous year in the BID. Make sure you're
getting all the latest news about the BID. Sign up for the
monthly e-newsletter by emailing tdavison@portlandalliance.com.
2. Crime down in central city as PDSI continues
expanded security
In June, the Portland Downtown Services Board of Directors
voted unanimously to continue funding the enhanced Clean and
Safe security program, which began in the fall of 2005. This
will keep an additional seven Portland Patrol, Inc. security
officers and a supervisor working closely with the Portland
Police Bureau's four Clean and Safe police officers. Meantime,
crime continued to decline significantly in the first quarter
of 2007, largely as a result of the increased efforts by the
Alliance and Portland Police.
During June, the Clean and Safe Security Patrols engaged
in 17,779 interactions with individuals on the streets of
downtown Portland as they continue to enhance the safety and
security of citizens in the BID. These contacts included 4,686
business assistance and referral contacts, 8,637 pedestrian
contacts, 147 arrests, 200 exclusions and an additional 171
non-enforcement problem solving contacts.
3. Work crews focus on SW 3rd and 4th
avenues
 In
June, 143 defendants were ordered by the Westside Community
Court to perform community service on the Westside work crew.
These work crews removed 58 bags of trash and 13 pieces of
drug paraphernalia from the BID. In all, there were 886 hours
of community service performed by defendants from Community
Court. These hours of community service include work at the
Blanchet House and at Loaves and Fishes.
The work crews are working on SW 3rd and 4th avenues due
to the increase in activity from TriMet traffic. Crews also
focused on key areas around the Waterfront Village, such as
MAX stops, and areas affected by the Grand Floral and Starlight
Parades.
Forty-eight defendants successfully completed the Theft Accountability
Class in June. The Downtown District Attorney Legal Assistant
reviewed a total of 217 misdemeanor cases for prosecution
and referral to the Westside Community Court.
 4.
Sidewalk Ambassadors expand hours
In June, the Ambassadors partnered with TriMet and Rose Festival
organizers to distribute route changes to bus riders and merchants
affected by the festivities. The Ambassadors also expanded
their hours to include Sundays, now serving those who live,
work and visit downtown six days a week.
- Business Modifications: 8
- Business Visits: 76
- Information: 4,493
- Publications: 2,345
- Service: 117
Monthly Total: 7,039
5. Downtown foot traffic remains strong,
despite construction activity
 Despite
bus relocation and considerable construction activity, downtown
pedestrian traffic remains strong, according to a pedestrian
traffic count conducted by the Portland Business Alliance
in June.
The twice-annual count showed that pedestrian concentrations
have shifted locations since last year, but the overall pedestrian
volume is down only 3 percent compared to June 2006 levels,
and there is a net increase of 6 percent since June 2005 on
comparable corners. The pedestrian traffic location shift
most likely is a result of the temporary relocation of the
transit mall to 3rd and 4th avenues.
The count showed that the intersection at SW 4th Avenue and
Morrison Street was up 55 percent, SW 3rd Avenue and Yamhill
Street increased 30 percent and SW 3rd Avenue and Taylor Street
was up 29 percent from last June.
The Alliance conducts these pedestrian traffic counts on
15 intersections within the Business Improvement District
from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on comparable days every December and
June. The purpose of the counts is to track pedestrian traffic
volumes in front of key intersections within the downtown
core, available retail space, and parcels poised for redevelopment.
For a complete list of intersections and data, visit the Alliance
web site at www.portlandalliance.com/downtown_services/
pedestrian-traffic-counts.html.
6. Survey looks at downtown shopper preferences
In June, the Pedestrian Intercept Survey was conducted for
three days in the Retail Core, the area bounded by SW Salmon
Street, SW 12th Avenue, SW Washington Street and SW 2nd Avenue.
The purpose of the survey is to understand the shopping pattern
of the downtown pedestrian, for use by retailers and commercial
brokers. The survey found that 34 percent of respondents do
most of their shopping after 5 p.m., 35 percent shop during
the lunch hour and 31 percent shop on the weekend. See the
full survey results at www.portlandalliance.com.
7. Sidewalk Obstruction Ordinance soon
to be in place
On May 9, Portland City Council gave final approval to a
new sidewalk obstruction ordinance as part of a package that
extends additional services to the homeless and improves Central
City livability. In June, the Council voted to delay implementation
of the new sidewalk obstruction ordinance pending installation
of additional benches, showers and a 24-hour restroom to assist
the homeless in the Central City core. The Alliance is working
closely with homeless advocates and others to complete installation
of these services, and the next City Council hearing on the
ordinance is set for August 15 at 10a.m. Your attendance at
the hearing or letters of support for the ordinance are encouraged.
8. Downtown Marketing Initiative update
The Downtown Marketing Initiative recruited more than 25
participants in the 2007 Retail Therapy promotion. Retail
Therapy will kick off Thursday June 21. The downtown web site,
www.downtownportland.org,
has 25,000 subscribers and has received 1.2 million clicks
since its launch in November 2006. The site averaged 6,800
hits per day, for a total of 198,679 this month.
9. Downtown Business Census & Survey published
The Annual Downtown
Business Census and Survey, which tracks all employees
and businesses located in the I-5/I-405 loop, has been completed
and results are available on the Alliance web site. During
2006, the number of employees located in the I-5/I-405 loop
increased by 1,579 over 2005, for a total of 84,697, the biggest
single year increase since the 2001 recession.
10. Central City Development Redevelopment
Report available
The Alliance recently released the annual Central
City Development and Redevelopment Projects report. This
report provides a comprehensive look at office, retail, housing
and hotel development currently under construction, on the
drawing board or under discussion as well as a look back at
projects completed since 2000.
11. Retail Announcements
Brooks Brothers is ahead of schedule in their construction
at the Galleria and is tentatively scheduled to open in November
2007. The Macy's remodel is on track and the store is scheduled
to open between October and November 2007 in time for the
holiday season. The Nordstrom remodel will be complete in
April 2008. Michael Allen Menswear will open in the former
Schumacher Furs space when their build out is completed this
fall. The ground floor retail space at the SW 3rd Avenue and
Alder Street Smart Park Garage has been leased to a national
restaurant chain and an announcement is forthcoming. Tom Moyer's
Park Block 4 project will go through design advice review
with the City this summer and a hearing is scheduled for September
6 to begin the permit process; construction is scheduled to
begin the first quarter of 2008.
12. Downtown Retail Council names new
Chair
The Downtown Retail Council (DRC) elected Stephen Pirkl of
Stephen Vincent Jewelers as the new chair of the DRC for the
2007-2008 season. In June the DRC ended a successful year
led by co-chairs Kirsten Kays of Nordstrom and Lisa Schroeder
of Mother's Bistro/ Mama Mia Trattoria.
"The DRC is very excited about Stephen's energy and leadership,"
said Teal Davison, Director of Downtown Retail and Marketing
for the Alliance. The DRC set their first two agenda items
for the next meeting in September: addressing the downtown
newspaper rack system, and exploring signage to identify a
retail district in downtown to complement the pedestrian way
finding system installed by the City earlier this year.
The DRC and the Downtown Retail Strategy Task Force also
wrote letters to key local officials in June to address the
importance of the 10th and Yamhill garage in relation to the
Retail Core and to express support for the redevelopment of
this property.
13. Urban Renewal Area Task Force focuses
on River District
The Alliance's Urban Renewal Area Task Force has been formed
and met this month to begin the work of making recommendations
regarding the expansion of the River District, as well as
the potential for the expiration, reconfiguration or creation
of Central City urban renewal areas.
The Task Force will examine the role of urban renewal in
the city, determine criteria for reconfiguring and/or defining
future urban renewal areas, and identify specific areas for
inclusion. The Task Force will be working on a parallel track
to the work group formed by the City. It will be important
for the Task Force to identify its own vision for the future
of urban renewal, but also remain flexible to respond to the
progress and timeline of the City's work group.
14. Business in Boston?
Do you have business connections in Boston or the New England
region? There is great news for regular travelers between
the Portland-region and that great New England City: Alaska
Airlines is launching nonstop service to Boston beginning
in September. The Portland Ambassadors are looking for business
people who regularly travel between the two cities, and leads
on Boston business people who do - or should - visit Portland.
If you have suggestions, please email Amie
Abbott.
MEMBER NEWS
15. Oregon Sports Authority and OregonLive.com
announce Summertime Sports in the South Park Blocks
July 19 - August 23
The Oregon Sports Authority and OregonLive.com announced
the launch of "Summertime Sports in the South Park Blocks,"
at SW Salmon and Park in downtown Portland. The event is free
to the public and offers the chance for friends and co-workers
to challenge each other to games of ping-pong, air hockey,
pop-a-shot basketball, foosball, four-square and mini-golf.
For more info, go to www.oregonsports.org/summertime-sports-in-the-south-park-blocks/.
16. 5th Avenue Street Fair
You're invited to join friends, family and neighbors on August
2, 2007 (First Thursday), for a fun-filled neighborhood street
fair celebrating the completion of light rail construction
on 5th Avenue in Old Town/Chinatown.
Enjoy great food, a beer garden, kids' activities and live
music from MusicFestNW artists. There will be two stages.
Graffiti artist Joshua Wallace will paint and complete a
100-foot canvas during the event. There will also be live
poetry readings by over 20 local poets throughout the evening
to celebrate the 10th anniversary of "Poetry in Motion."
Plus, enter to win two VIP seats on the inaugural MAX Green
Line train in 2009!
The first of several community celebrations in the Next Big
Thing Downtown Event Series, the 5th Avenue Street Fair will
take place on 5th between Burnside and Glisan from 5 to 10
p.m.
Get all the details about the Street Fair and The Next Big
Thing Downtown at http://portlandmall.org/streetfair.
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