Jay Zidell, the president of Zidell Marine Corp., has confirmed publicly that he will develop the 30 riverside acres the Zidell family holds on both sides of the Ross Island Bridge.

The land will soon be home to buildings that complement the new incoming $1.4 billion MAX light-rail line to Milwaukie, two adjacent Oregon Health & Science University buildings and nearby South Waterfront mixed-use projects.  Zidell’s nephew Matt French will oversee the property’s development.  Zidell and the city are working on development agreements that will dictate uses for the land, currently zoned for commercial and industrial uses.  Possibilities include transit-oriented developments that offer a mix of office, housing, and retail sites.

C’est Naturelle Farms, located in Molalla, Oregon, raises all of their vegetables, herbs, and fruit without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides.  They also offer fresh, free-range eggs, pastured chicken and turkey, and raw cow’s milk herd-shares.  One of the beautiful things about their program is the ability to pick and choose what you want to have delivered to the neighborhood pick up site each week!  You can also go with their more traditional CSA “surprise basket” option.

Please visit their website for more in-depth information about the program.  Visit this link for a list of FAQ’s.

Please let us know if you are interested in participating at the Atwater Place pickup location.  Call or email South Waterfront Community Relations Manager Heather Bayles at heather@southwaterfront.com or 503-867-5766.

After 15 years, the largest privately conducted and privately funded cleanup on the Willamette River is complete.

First to be cleaned up were human health hotspots and ecological hotspots from the area above the river.  This summer complications to the remediation effort arose, involving permitting and working within “fish windows” to protect habitats.  In some areas contaminants were excavated and the bank was graded to a gentler slope.  In areas where contaminants were not removed, the ground was capped with sand and heavy rock was added to protect the sand cap from erosion.  A different kind of cap made of fabric that filters contaminants was placed in other areas.

Landscaping and some remediation will continue through next year, after which Zidell will be responsible for maintaining involvement in development over the next five years, to ensure that remaining contaminants are not disturbed.  In total, the project includes:

• About 2,700 linear feet of cleaned river bank.
• Two-and-a-half acres of removed invasive vegetation.

Some 15,000 newly planted shrubs and 212 new trees.

Tired of all the acronyms?  In an effort to dispel some of the general confusion surrounding what the various organizations of the South Waterfront do and how they are related to one another, we have created a new South Waterfront Organization Chart.

Please contact South Waterfront Community Relations at communityrelations@southwaterfront.com with questions.

What is an EcoDistrict? An EcoDistrict is a neighborhood committed to improving its sustainability performance over time.

What’s the EcoDistrict Program? The Portland Sustainability Institute is leading an EcoDistrict strategy for the City of Portland to promote neighborhood-scale sustainability and achieve citywide performance goals.   It includes a framework, a set of tools for implementation, and five pilot districts.

What are EcoDistrict Projects? Projects fit into three major categories:

• Green Buildings: weatherization, building retrofits, green building policies
• Smart Infrastructure: buildings, renewable energy, district energy and water, green streets, smart grid, parks and open space, transit access, bike systems
• People & Behavior: food composting, community events, education, engagement, demand management, and local food

District stakeholders decide which programs make the most sense for their EcoDistrict.  The projects in South Waterfront will likely focus on Infrastructure and Behavior because the green building performance is already so strong.

What are the potential results? EcoDistricts provide a framework to create better neighborhoods with improved livability and sustainability performance.

How do we create a South Waterfront EcoDistrict? The Portland Sustainability Institute has developed a five-phase approach for creating EcoDistricts based on best practices from around the world.  South Waterfront is one of the first neighborhoods to apply the approach.

1. District Organization: Engagement and local governance
2. District Assessment: Setting goals and determining project priorities
3. Project Feasibility: Making the business, technical, and social case for project priorities
4. Project Development: Implementing projects over many years
5. District Monitoring: Performance measurement to show the impact of projects

Why South Waterfront? Identified as an EcoDistrict pilot in 2009, South Waterfront is already a model for green building and planning techniques.  In addition, South Waterfront Community Relations has the potential to lead neighborhood-based activities. The redevelopment for the Schnitzer campus on the north end of the district is an opportunity to achieve even higher sustainability performance. South Waterfront Community Relations signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Portland Sustainability Institute and City of Portland to become an EcoDistrict in 2011.

What will the South Waterfront EcoDistrict look like? The vision for the South Waterfront EcoDistrict will come from the community and the City will partner in its implementation. Because the existing neighborhood has such strong green buildings, EcoDistrict projects will likely focus on infrastructure and behavior programs to achieve sustainability performance goals. The OHSU redevelopment on the north end of the district provides a major opportunity to demonstrate the potential for new development to achieve mixed-use, high performance EcoDistrict goals.

Will EcoDistricts be required? No, the EcoDistricts Program is not currently a regulatory initiative and does not currently include policy or tax requirements.

Why are EcoDistricts a good idea?

• For Municipalities: EcoDistricts support a neighborhood sustainability assessment and investment strategy to help meet broader sustainability policy and economic development goals. EcoDistricts put demonstration projects on the ground, save local money and resources, and stimulate new business development.
• For Utilities: EcoDistricts create a model for integrated infrastructure planning to guide the development of more cost-effective and resilient green infrastructure investments over time. EcoDistricts also provide a mechanism for scaling conservation and demand-side management goals by aggregating district-wide projects.
• For Developers and Property Owners: EcoDistricts create a mechanism to reduce development and operating costs by linking individual building investments to neighborhood infrastructure.
• For Businesses: EcoDistricts provide a platform to deliver district-scale infrastructure and building products and services to market.
• For Neighbors: EcoDistricts provide a tangible way to get involved in improving and enhancing the neighborhood’s economic vitality and sustainability, as well as a new form of organization.

Where can I get more information? www.pdxinstitute.org/ecodistricts

Oregon Health & Science University, Portland State University, Oregon State University, and The Chancellor’s Office of the Oregon University System together invite you to join the Groundbreaking Ceremonies for the Collaborative Life Sciences Building.

For further information visit www.ohsu.edu/clsb.

Thursday, October 13, 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Park at the Schnitzer Lot
2750 SW Moody Ave, Portland, OR Map It

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Interested in how urban renewal is affecting your neighborhood?  Attend the monthly North Macadam Urban Renewal Advisory Committee Meeting to stay informed.  October’s agenda includes SW Moody and Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge construction updates, a grocery market analysis presentation for the district from Staffenson Resources, and Greenway update.  For a general overview of the North Macadam URAC, visit http://www.pdc.us/ura/sowa_n-macadam.asp.

Thursday, October 13, 8:30 am – 10:00 am
OHSU Center for Health & Healing
3303 SW Bond Ave, 3rd Floor, CHH 3070 Room 4,
Portland, OR Map It

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Right about the end of summer, tomatoes are delicious and plentiful— the perfect combination to put up jars of tomato sauce, tomato paste, and whole tomatoes for storage.  Your winter soups and stews will never taste better than with your own preserved tomatoes.

In this class, Master Preserver and Food Safety Advisor, Cara Haskey, will guide each participant through preparing and processing a pint of tomatoes using a pressure canner.  Included in the price of the class are all the canning materials and ingredients, handouts with instructions, recipes and helpful tips, samples, plus a pint of tomatoes to take home. Enjoy a glass of complimentary wine during the class, courtesy of SWCR.

You must register and pay in advance by contacting Heather Bayles at heather@southwaterfront.com or 503-972-3289.

Wednesday, September 21, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
South Waterfront Community Relations Townhome
Atwater Place, Suite 115
0841 SW Gaines Street, Portland, OR Map It

$40 AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

South Waterfront Community Garden Potluck
Time to harvest and make something mouthwatering!  Please bring a dish and your favorite bottle of wine to share.  If you are musical or have a favorite short story/poem, feel free to entertain your fellow potluck-goers as you share a lovely summer evening of wine and food.  Please see the garden bulletin board for further details or email: grow@swfcg.org for more information.

Saturday, August 27, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
South Waterfront Community Garden
Just South of Atwater Place
0841 SW Gaines Street, Portland, OR Map It

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Stop by the office to check out South Waterfront Community Relations’ new worm bin!  We participated in the May 18 Urban Harvest gardening class, Composting and Worm Bins for Condo Dwellers, and now have 200 hungry mouths to feed.  They aren’t exactly cuddly, but they serve a purpose; in return for eating our tea leaves, coffee grounds, and produce scraps, they will provide us with fantastic fertilizer for the garden this summer.  Pictured above are happy worm bin builders from the class.

South Waterfront Community Relations brings monthly Urban Harvest gardening and cooking classes to the district.  Click HERE for information about this month’s June 22 educational offering:  Fall and Winter Harvest:  How to Prepare in Midsummer.