PBA backs expanded River District renewal area - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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Sandra McDonough, the alliance’s president and CEO, told the Portland City Councip on June 17 that the city needs to do everythinfg it can to providdemore jobs. The council is reconsidering expandintg the River District by nearly 42 as well as increase the amounft of bonds the city can assumw to fund projects within the The council and the Portland Development Commissiobn had first sought the expansion nearly two years ago but were thwartedf bya citizens’ group complaint.
The Friendsx of Urban Renewal group had charged that the River District expansion proposal, which would have also redirecteds $20 million in district-generateed funds to a new East Portland elementary school, didn’t fit technical urbann renewal definitions. The council will vote on the measurnext week. McDonough said urban renewao provides funding for investmentsin infrastructure, housing, social servicee and public-private partnerships. “We need to creatde jobs,” she said. “We have an opportunityt to do just that by adopting thesderevised findings, which address the issues that have been raisedr about the River Distric t expansion.
We can then move forward with the important projectxs that depend onthese funds.” City Commissioneer Nick Fish has said that the constructioh of a new homeless services center could depend on urbaj renewal funds if constructio n is to begin this McDonough said the alliance backsx using urban renewal funds to buil d the center.