The Albina Vision Trust (AVT), a local nonprofit dedicated to the redevelopment of North Portland's historic Black neighborhood, has proposed a bold move to acquire the Portland Public Schools (PPS) headquarters, with plans to relocate the school district's central office downtown. The district had an agreement from years ago that AVT would have first dibs on purchasing the building if it were put up for sale, reported OPB.
According to AVT, PPS is staring down the barrel of at least $14 million in deferred maintenance on its current building named the Dr. Matthew Prophet Education Center and possibly up to $81 million if seismic upgrades are deemed necessary; the nonprofit has suggested the school district is looking at potentially hefty renovation costs estimated at $220 million and has presented their proposal as a cost-neutral option that could alleviate financial burdens for PPS while benefiting the community, as they assert the real value is in the land, not the outdated building. The group has already rallied substantial support including securing over $70 million in investments for Lower Albina and has identified 14 potential locations for a new PPS office that would purportedly match or exceed the value of the existing headquarters.
“I don’t know that you would ever find anybody else who comes to you saying, ‘We don’t want any of your money. We just want you to do the right thing,’” AVT's executive director Winta Yohannes told the school board. Members of the audience applauded her assertion. The proposal envisions transforming the property into more than 1,000 units of central city housing among other community benefits. JT Flowers, Portland graduate emphasized the broader implications of the move, saying, "We come before you with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make our students, our families in our city, east side and west, whole again," he added.
The school board expressed a consensus to proceed with AVT's proposal, albeit with some questions regarding logistics; they aim to collaborate with AVT on a resolution to get the ball rolling—AVT hopes for a resolution by February 6 and a decision before the month's end. The two parties would then have 30 days to establish a work plan followed by six to nine months for PPS to identify and commit to a new site for its headquarters and warehouse leading up to the purchase agreements which could take about 18-36 months guiding this proposed bold transition to completion, reiterated Yohannes stressing the the time is now, the place is here, and the people are ready in a presentation to the school board, as reported by OPB.
