What would you like to see in Lents?

The Portland Development Commission (PDC) has issued a Request for Interest (RFI) centered around five major development opportunities, representing about six acres or half of the total acreage that PDC owns in the Lents Town Center Urban Renewal Area (URA). PDC has assembled this shovel ready land to encourage new residences, businesses, and investments, and is poised to employ significant financial and other resources to ensure attainment of community goals and redevelopment objectives in the Lents Town Center.

A primary objective of the Lents Five-Year Action Plan approved by Portland City Council in May 2014 is to prioritize PDC’s investments over the next five years (before the URA sunsets in 2020) to stimulate development in the Lents Town Center that positively changes its reputation and increases the vitality of the area. The Action Plan provides a road map for the final – critical – push of activity in the district. The Plan prioritizes 92nd Avenue as the “Main Street” for Lents, so the RFI’s listed properties are consistent with this strategic approach.

The RFI’s development objectives focus on themes that would ensure that public investments leverage community benefits.

We look forward to seeing innovative proposals that fulfill our goals for district identity, community partnership, social equity and amenities that serve the neighborhood. To that end, PDC and Lents Grown, a startup business district association, have identified a list of prospective neighborhood services that the community would like to see open for business.