Nonprofit organization Albina Vision Trust is continuing to move forward with plans to develop the lower Albina area of Portland with housing intended to serve longtime displaced residents. As part of its first development in the city’s Eliot neighborhood, Albina Vision Trust – in partnership with developer Edlen & Co. – the organization is looking to add a 94-unit affordable housing development to the community.
Referred to as Albina One, the planned development was previously announced in 2021 and is currently in the pre-development stages with plans to be delivered by 2025, according to the City.
The project would be developed between N. Flint Avenue and N. Wheeler Avenue and would include seven stories of affordable housing for households living at or below 30 to 60 percent of the area’s median income. In total, the residential development would include 40 one-bedroom, 37 two-bedroom and 17 three-bedroom units.
The project would include designs from architecture firm LEVER Architecture, with a number of family-friendly amenities included in the building. Located on the ground and top floors of the building will be several management offices. The building will also offer secure bike parking, 16 vehicle parking spaces and an outdoor plaza with landscaping.
The Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center + Rosemary Anderson High School also will support future tenants with education, mentoring and family outreach programs located onsite.
The property would also provide tenants with access to the TriMet Rose Quarter Transit Station, the streetcar, Interstate 5 and several bike share stations. The project site is also within walking distance to nearby retail options and community amenities, like the Lillis Albina Park and Dawson Park.
The project is part of the larger Albina Vision, a concept created to reinvent the historic Black neighborhood. The area encompasses 90 acres and includes the revitalization of the area with affordable housing, outdoor areas and inclusive commercial spaces. The Albina Vision Trust was created to head the revitalization, achieving nonprofit status in 2017.
“Recovery from the present day consequences of forced displacement, the theft of Black wealth and the pandemic induced economic downturn will require us to lead with our values,” said Winta Yohannes, AVT’s managing director, in a previous statement. “This modest but significant action to prioritize the arts, create affordable housing, and ensure community ownership is how we move from talking about equity to seeing it in action.”
