Three development teams made Prosper Portland’s short list to develop the 32-acre Broadway Corridor in northwest Portland. Following the request for qualifications issued in November 2017 by Prosper Portland and the Portland Housing Bureau, the site redevelopment includes the opportunity to redevelop the 14-acre United States Postal Service property and offer high-density employment, mixed-income housing and city attractions.
Prosper Portland, an economic and urban development agency for the city, selected Continuum Partners, McWhinney and Related Companies as the finalists. All three will present their qualifications to community members at a public forum on March 21.
“My thanks go to the Broadway Corridor Evaluation Committee for their careful consideration of each team’s qualifications to plan and deliver a high-density, mixed-use development that values diversity, equity and community engagement,” Kimberly Branam, Prosper Portland executive director, said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to the public presentations on March 21 and the chance to engage with a broad mix of Portlanders about these proposals.”
Nathan Kadish, co-chair of the Broadway Corridor Steering Committee, says he was pleased to see the developer responses clearly indicate qualifications and experiences to deliver on a project of the scope and scale required to pull off the corridor redevelopment.
With a total of 32 acres, including the post office site, Prosper Portland, formerly known as the Portland Development Commission, calls the opportunity a rare blank slate in the city’s core. The winning developer will have the opportunity to purchase the land from the city and, once plans get approved, develop the property.
While the request for qualifications didn’t come with a development plan, the teams that each group put together hint at what the future could hold. McWhinney, a Denver-based developer, has already publicly offered a partnership with the James Beard Public Market for a food-centric location within the development. The James Beard Public Market has worked for years to find a home in new development in Portland. New York’s Related Companies, with its San Francisco office leading the Portland effort, has announced a partnership with the homelessness nonprofit Central City Concern. Continuum, also of Denver, may be best-known for its Denver Union Station.
Follow Tim Newcomb on Twitter at @tdnewcomb.