Then and Now
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BIGGER MEANING City, schools feel impact of Timbers’ triumph — SEE SPORTS, B1 PortlandTribune TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2015 • TWICE CHOSEN THE NATION’S BEST NONDAILY PAPER • PORTLANDTRIBUNE.COM • PUBLISHED TUESDAY AND THURSDAY ALBERTA STREET: THEN AND NOW Study documents neighborhood’s changes Alberta Street Project Field Supervisor Deborah Moore and Project Co-director Michael “Chappie” Grice stand in front of the building over past 23 years that housed Portland’s fi rst African-American-owned movie theater, the Albina Theatre, and is now home to the Alberta Rose Theater. STORY BY JIM REDDEN PHOTOS BY JONATHAN HOUSE ast improvements have occurred along Al- City struggles berta Street in the past 23 years: Renovation Ariana Scipioni, of older homes and buildings, around 140 a mother of two Vnew businesses, a big increase in property and trained as a to take action values, and a sharp drop in crime. wildlife biologist, But many of the earlier residents and business says she knew owners are not there to enjoy the benefi ts. They have how dangerous been displaced due to the rising property values and lead was, but as homeless rents. she didn’t know Public school enrollment has been cut nearly in how prevalent it half, with African-American, Native American and could be. camps multiply Asian students being increasingly replaced by whites PHOTO FOR THE and Hispanics. And only fi ve of the 17 churches in the TRIBUNE: ADAM WICKHAM Neighbors say Greeley site not area remain unchanged in name and location. suitable for living, mayor not “Many people had to move Find out more enforcing limits on numbers out of the area and can’t af- Two studies of the area Lead dangers lurk ford to come back,” says Mi- around Northeast Alberta Street detail the changes By JOSEPH GALLIVAN AND JIM REDDEN chael “Chappie” Grice, a over the past 23 years: The Tribune longtime local African-Amer- ■ To read the original 1992 in Portland homes ican educator and communi- study: http://tinyurl.com/ Disputes over fast-growing homeless ty leader. q6357ly cordia home, Scipioni made camps in North Portland are complicating “Plenty are still here,” he ■ To read the 2015 study: NE mom says her http://tinyurl.com/z36asem sure to ask her contractors efforts by neighborhood leaders to develop says, “but they aren’t in- baby was poisoned about their lead safety pre- a citywide response to the issue. volved in Alberta Street ac- cautions. The Overlook Neighborhood Association has tivities. The new residents after a renovation She was surprised when a accused the mayor’s offi ce of breaking promises blood test in September on to limit the number of campers along North don’t know who they are and don’t involve them in her 1-year-old daughter, Greeley Street below Interstate Avenue. their activities.” By SHASTA KEARNS MOORE Francesca, revealed elevated The association called a special meeting for The Tribune lead levels in her blood- Wednesday, Dec. 16, to discuss the situation. It Measuring “progress” stream. will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Historic Kenton The changes are documented in two unique studies of the As a wildlife biologist “I was so shocked. I was Firehouse, 8105 N. Brandon Ave. 186-block area around Alberta and Northeast 15th Avenue. and new Portland mom, just expecting it to be fi ne,” The association previously sent a letter to the The fi rst was conducted in 1992 and the second was completed Ariana Scipioni was on Scipioni says. City Council on Thursday, Dec. 3, requesting the a short time ago. Both recorded the conditions in the area us- high alert for potential en- The next Monday, she had camp be moved. “Although the original intent ing the same method — local, young African-Americans hired vironmental toxins. She a lead assessor come in to was for a small campsite that would be self-reg- to walk the area, interview residents and business owners, bought the organic sheets test the whole house. He ulating within a code of conduct, that did not photograph houses and commercial properties, and research and mattresses and used found lead dust on a new last,” the letter said. demographic, education, real estate, law enforcement and oth- the special cleaners. floor upstairs, in the air The request was rejected by Josh Alpert, er information about it. Scipioni was well-versed ducts, around the windows Mayor Charlie Hales’ chief of staff. He says the on lead poisoning — how and even in the kitchen sink. See STUDY / Page 2 homes built before 1978 often See CAMPS / Page 3 have lead-based paint, which See LEAD / Page 3 breaks down into dust that’s a potent neurotoxin, espe- MEYER’S “Pamplin Media Group’s pledge is to cially in young children. Portland Tribune deliver balanced news that refl ects the stories of our communities. Thank you So when she and her hus- EDUCATION for reading our newspapers.” band had work done over the Inside — SEE LIFE, PAGE B10 — DR. ROBERT B. PAMPLIN JR. summer on their 1917 Con- OWNER & NEIGHBOR 539907.121515 A2 NEWS The Portland Tribune Tuesday, December 15, 2015 Study: Gentrifi cation has pros and cons ■ From page 1 the redevelopment of Alberta Street, which was blighted by Both studies were organized vacant buildings and trash- by Grice and Bob Zybach, a strewn empty lots. former Portland educator who Zyback, Grice and Moore re- now lives in Cottage Grove. united for the 2015 study, this “We paid kids to learn and time supervising a team of document the conditions in the young African-Americans neighborhood. They got paid from Worksystems Inc. and learned valuable job Funding and other support skills,” Zyback says. came from the Oregon Web- The recent study compares sites & Watersheds Project, the situation in 1992 with the the World Arts Foundation, area today. It provides a de- the Oregon Association of Mi- tailed look at the effects of nority Entrepreneurs, Port- gentrifi cation, the changes land Public Schools, Portland that occur when investment Development Commission, and occurs in lower-income areas. the Portland Police Bureau. Preventing the negative ef- Documenting gentrifi cation COURTESY ALBERTA STREET PROJECT fects of gentrifi cation is one of The 1906 building that housed the Alberta Theater and the Greater Peace Church of God has been renovated to house small shops and studios. A the hottest political issues in The result may be the most new apartment building now occupies the other end of the block. Portland today. Many close-in detailed historic study ever at- neighborhoods are currently tempted of a Portland neigh- being transformed by an infl ux borhood. Although demo- of new residents and business- graphic changes in the area es, pushing established resi- have been documented by var- dents, businesses and even ious organizations over the churches to the edges of the years with census and other city or completely out data, the two studies of town. include side-by-side The new study also “Many comparisons of prop- documents the undeni- erties and personal ac- able benefi ts of gentri- people had counts of previous and fi cation, including the to move out current community revitalization of a his- of the area members. toric part of town that “It’s just so different had been going down- and can’t now. The business hill for too many years. afford to owners are happy so “I hope the studies many people have teach people that if come moved in, but it’s a dif- they are going to back.” ferent vibe,” Moore change a neighbor- says. — Michael COURTESY ALBERTA STREET PROJECT hood, they should do “Chappie” Grice The 2015 study runs The 1917 building that once housed Crowley’s Dance Hall has been renovated for mixed uses. The house next to it has been restored, too. their research and 140 pages and includes learn everything about photographs of dozens it fi rst, and involve the resi- of buildings from 1992 and to- crease in crime, the study dents in the plans,” says Debo- day. The changes look as says, making the area an even rah Moore, who worked on though much of the area has more desirable place to live. both studies as the fi eld super- participated in well-funded visor. historic preservation projects. Black community dispersed Many structures that were The 2015 study relays how Albert Street Area was blighted rundown or vacant 23 years the African-American commu- Project Both the 1992 and 2015 stud- ago have been completely re- nity has been shortchanged by Supervisor ies focus on a portion of North- furbished. They include: a di- the revival. It documented 20 Deborah Moore east Portland bounded by Mar- lapidated bar at 1801 N.E. Al- African-American-owned busi- and Project tin Luther King Jr. Boulevard berta that is now Solae’s nesses in the study area today Co-director on the west, 33rd Avenue on Lounge; a 1909 apartment — the same as in 1992 — while Michael the east, Prescott Street on the house at 2403 N.E. Alberta that the total number of businesses “Chappie” Grice south and Killingsworth Street is now the repurposed Rexall has jumped from 79 to about share a laugh in on the north, plus Alberta Drugstore mixed-use building; 220 today. front of the Park as a more northern ex- a Pacifi c Power & Light substa- And the population of Afri- enormous tension. Alberta Street is the tion at 2701 N.E. Alberta that is can-Americans living in the historic mural only commercial street in the now The Station neighborhood area has declined dramatically along the otherwise residential study ar- pub; and the former Albina over the past 23 years.