Turning Up the Lights in Parkrose
Progress, Partnerships, and Possibility
Over the past three months, something important has been happening in Parkrose.
It hasn’t been loud or flashy. It’s been steady, intentional, and rooted in people showing up for each other. Business owners, neighbors, students, property owners, nonprofits, and public partners have come together to raise a collective voice for Parkrose and to turn long-standing challenges into real opportunities.
Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been working on and where we’re headed next.
Laying the Groundwork for an Enhanced Services District (ESD)
One of the biggest efforts underway is the creation of an Enhanced Services District for Parkrose. An ESD is a tool that allows local businesses and property owners to pool resources to fund things like cleaning, safety, beautification, and district activation, services that go beyond what the City can provide alone.
Over the last few months, we have:
Held information sessions with ratepayers
Begun forming the ESD board
Started defining service priorities and a fair rate structure
Met regularly with technical partners like Uncommon Bridges
Worked closely with District 1 council members who have expressed strong support for this effort
The goal is to bring a clear, community-driven proposal to City Council by March. This work is about local control, accountability, and long-term stability for the Parkrose business district.
Investing Directly in Local Businesses with Spark Loans
We also launched and expanded our Spark Loan program, which provides zero-interest microloans to Parkrose businesses.
In just a short time:
Parkrose Coffee Shop became our first Spark Loan recipient and has already reinvested in improvements that make the space more welcoming as a community hub
It’s a Vibe Catering was approved for a Spark Loan and received their check, helping them grow their operations and explore new partnerships in the district
We continue to support businesses with technical assistance, navigation, and advocacy alongside the loans
These loans are about more than money. They are about trust, momentum, and keeping locally owned businesses rooted in Parkrose.
Community Advocacy Is Producing Real Results
Community walkthroughs, meetings, and sustained advocacy have brought tangible changes to the district. As a result of collective pressure and collaboration:
Sandy Boulevard is now being cleaned weekly by PEMO
Resources were secured to clean and maintain NE Killingsworth Street
A dedicated District Attorney is meeting monthly on Parkrose cases
Two police officers are assigned to the area and response has improved
City, County, Metro, and State officials are now regularly engaged with Parkrose
These changes didn’t happen overnight, and they didn’t happen by accident. They happened because the community stayed organized and insisted on being heard.
What’s Coming Next: Lights, Plazas, and Shared Space
As we move into the winter season, we’re also focusing on joy, visibility, and bringing people together.
Coming up:
A Christmas Lights Festival to bring warmth, light, and foot traffic to the district during the darkest time of the year
Continued work toward pop-up plazas and public gathering spaces that invite people from across Portland to spend time and dollars in Parkrose
Youth-centered projects, arts initiatives, and partnerships that make Parkrose a place to be, not just pass through
Parkrose Passport is a dynamic activity to attract traffic into our businesses
These efforts are about changing the story of the corridor, from a place people worry about to a place people want to visit, invest in, and belong to.
The Common Thread: Community Coming Together
Everything we’ve done over the past three months, from policy work to loans to events, has one thing in common: community coming together to raise a collective voice for Parkrose.
This is what neighborhood-led recovery looks like. It’s not one project or one organization. It’s many people pulling in the same direction, believing that Parkrose is worth fighting for.
We’re grateful to everyone who has shown up, spoken up, donated, partnered, and believed. And we’re just getting started.
Stay connected. More is coming.
