PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland City Council unanimously approved funding a critical piece of infrastructure to make the transformation of OMSI's waterfront campus into a modern mixed-use pocket neighborhood one step closer to reality.
The future "OMSI District" plans to include up to 1,200 units of new housing, with a minimum of 20% reserved for low-income families, as well as retail and education space, along with a new waterfront park — but to do that, new roads must be built.
The up to $16.9 million in funds approved goes toward Portland Bureau of Transportation to construct New Water Avenue that will serve as the main thoroughfare for the district to the Central Eastside. Two other streets will be built to assist with traffic.
“This is a significant day for Portland, and I’ll tell you why the legislation before us today is about more than infrastructure," Commissioner Mingus Mapps said. "It’s about transforming the OMSI District in a vibrant hub for education, innovation and community life.”
Currently, Southeast Water Avenue, the only road in and out of the district, only goes to parking lots. The new avenue will run the length of the 24-acre site and parallel to the train tracks, with a two-way bike lane in the center.
Construction is anticipated to begin mid-2025 and be completed in 2027.
"During the construction phase, we anticipate some temporary adjustments to traffic and visitor access around the museum," a project spokesperson said. "However, we will be working closely with our partners to minimize disruptions as much as possible. Our goal is to ensure that the OMSI campus remains accessible throughout the project.”
Once the New Water Avenue is complete, further development can occur in the district, which includes the new Center for Tribal Nations.
“The Center for Tribal Nations is the first-of-its-kind, Native-led urban development that establishes a Native presence on the Willamette River, while creating space for a new era of Indigenous expressions of excellence," said James Alan Parker, executive director for Northwest Native Chambers, who is acting as the steward for the community vision for the center.
The center will serve as a hub for business, recreations and cultural activities for the more than 20 tribal, intertribal and urban Native organizations that operate in the greater Portland region.
In total, the district is estimated to create more than 7,000 jobs during the construction period and after. The bulk of the development planned is for low-to-middle income housing.
“When people say that we need to do more to support housing development in Portland and revitalize our Central City, this is a perfect example of us doing more,” Commissioner Carmen Rubio said.
Last week, the city council approved a strategy to boost Portland's housing production. In it includes plans to help produce mega projects like the OMSI District that will create hundreds of new housing units.
The funds approved at the city council hearing will not be the only investment Portland makes into the new OMSI District. On Wednesday, the city council also approved a "term sheet," which outlines a partnership between the city, Prosper Portland and OMSI, with commitments to create between 240 to 300 affordable housing units.