Editor’s Note: As you can see on the neighborhood boundary map on page 3, Beaumont-Wilshire shares a common boundary with Cully and Concordia neighborhoods at the intersection of NE 42nd Avenue and Alberta Court, thus providing a shared residential/business community along 42nd. But what’s happening there and why?
Perhaps you’ve seen the evolving urban landscape on NE 42nd Avenue between Prescott Street and Killingsworth Avenue: a new mixed-use three-story building near 42nd and Prescott with a ground-floor vegan cafe and movement studio, businesses Yonder and Bolt Fabric Boutique now housed in the former Delphina’s Bakery site, Portland Bloem, Cully Farm Store, and most recently, consignment store Take It Or Leave It in the former Portland Tissue building just past Alberta Street. But perhaps more notably is what you haven’t observed on the street—a full-scale teardown of existing structures replaced with high-rise developments, as has been the case in other areas around the city.
A Thoughtful Approach
It turns out that’s by design through the work of Our 42nd Avenue. Formally established as a 501(C) 3 nonprofit in 2014 and funded in part by Prosper Portland, Our 42nd Avenue often has been erroneously viewed as a business association. Instead, it is one of several location-based, City of Portland-sponsored entities called Neighborhood Prosperity Initiatives (NPI).
Under the direction of a local Board of Directors and former District Manager Michael Demarco, volunteers and other team members have done the work of this community-centric, nonprofit economic development organization. Activities have included identifying community concerns and needs and working with building owners and prospective business owners to coax development that serves the existing community and brings employment to the neighborhood. This effort has helped many from being pushed out by runaway gentrification and helped secure businesses that embrace Our 42nd’s community-minded vision.
Changes Underway
While that work will continue to be the mission of the organization, some recent changes have taken place. DeMarco, a familiar face and ambassador for the agency, has moved on to pursue an economic development consulting practice. While he’ll continue to assist Our 42nd Avenue as needed in his new entrepreneurial capacity, in January he passed the district manager baton to Edy Martinez.
Martinez, a northern California native with a degree in Recreation and Administration from Chico State University, has lived and worked in the Portland area for several years, but his 18-year career has a common thread. “Whether working in schools or community centers,” he said, “my career has always had a community component to it.” Yet more recently Martinez, who introduced himself at the February BWNA general membership meeting, was running the Portland SUN Community Schools program, in which he oversaw 17 employees who managed the various departments that served participating children and their immediate families. Martinez was drawn to the Our 42nd Avenue position to round out his community development experience: “While I’ve done a great deal of community-related work, I was excited by the opportunity to work with and learn about small businesses…It’s in the same wheelhouse, but it gives me the chance to learn something new.”
NAYA Brings Benefits
Another big change in Our 42nd Avenue operations is the structure. While still partially funded by Prosper Portland, it will no longer be its own nonprofit and is instead working under the umbrella of the Portland-based Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA). NAYA is a nonprofit with a stated mission to “enhance the diverse strengths of our youth and families in partnership with the community through cultural identity and education.” Oscar Arana, who now oversees Our 42nd, is NAYA’s director of community development and believes that NAYA is well-positioned to wrap Our 42nd Avenue into its portfolio of services: “We’re already a fiscal sponsor of the Cully Boulevard Alliance, another NPI, and many elements of Our 42nd Avenue’s strategic plan aligned with our own”—adding that “NAYA is a community resource, so when Our 42nd Avenue leadership asked for support, we wanted to provide it.”
Our 42nd Avenue will dissolve its nonprofit later this year, and its former board of directors will no longer have organizational authority. Nonetheless, they will stay involved as a kind of “steering committee,” providing community input to Arana and Martinez, who is officially a NAYA employee.
Rosemarie Sweet, who has served as board chair for Our 42nd Avenue for the past four years, feels the board’s decision to shift operations to NAYA will give the organization much-needed resources, allowing Martinez to bring Our 42nd Avenue back to its roots—i.e., connecting with property and business owners for the good of the community. “In spite of limited resources, Michael managed to secure site control of several key properties on the street and provide homes for many community, mission-oriented businesses” Sweet said. “As that portfolio grew, he had less time for community outreach and building new relationships. With NAYA’s participation, Edy will be able to focus again on these important tasks.”
Community Coffee Hour and Other Connection Options
Community members from the neighborhoods in and around the 42nd Avenue corridor will continue to have a way to connect with Our 42nd Avenue through its long-running Community Coffee Hour held on the last Friday of the month from January through October. The casual sessions are held at COM(MOTION) Studio at 4522 NE 42nd Avenue and run from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. To sign up for the coffee hour e-mail reminder and to RSVP attendance, visit www.42ave.org/newsletter.
Our 42nd Avenue’s office is now located at 4213 NE Alberta Street, between Cully Farm Store and Iron Art of the Northwest. As Edy Martinez is often out in the district or in meetings, be sure call ahead for an appointment (503-837-3542) or send him an e-mail (Edy@42ndAve.org).