About

Historic Parkrose is committed to the growth and preservation of the Historic Parkrose Business District and its surrounding neighborhood.

Young girl painting with tempera paint at an outdoor table covered with a blue and white checkered cloth, surrounded by art supplies.

We promote economic growth and community building through engagement of our neighbors.

We celebrate and respect our unique diversity, and are focused on our future while remembering our historic past.

Historic Parkrose offers storefront improvement grants, technical assistance, and support to businesses located in our target area of 99th to 121st on Sandy Blvd. We curate community events, like Summer Nights, and support other associations working to enrich Parkrose, like the Parkrose Neighborhood Association, Parkrose Educational Foundation and Elevate Oregon.

Historic Parkrose History

On April 9, 2012, Historic Parkrose was founded (under the name Parkrose NPI) by a broad cross-section of people representing the area’s business community, residents, property owners, district organizations, and community groups because they saw a need for Parkrose and the surrounding community.

The Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative (NPI) is a program initiated by Prosper Portland (formerly called Portland Development Commission/PDC) to strengthen the economic competitiveness of neighborhood business districts through community-planned and community-implemented actions and projects.

Collage of portraits featuring individuals associated with Historic Parkrose, with a central logo featuring the text "Historic Parkrose, Est. 1911, Gateway to the Columbia."

Historic Parkrose was founded to focus on

Increasing the visibility of the business district

Filling vacant spaces

Growing job opportunities

Storefront improvements

Strengthening existing businesses

Community projects

How does it work?

Historic Parkrose has a board of directors and a small staff. Businesses in our designated district can apply for grants and assistance. We use our tax increment financing (TIF) funds to provide funding for capital improvement projects.

Our Founding Members

Founding Chair: Joe Rossi

Founding Chair: Joe Rossi

A person smiling with glasses and curly hair, wearing a striped top and necklaces.

Founding Board Members

Marcy Emerson-Peters

Mark Gardner

Colleen Gifford

Tamra Jones

Mark LaCroix

Dominic Moran

Maggie Nelson

Ken Poirier

Amelia Salvador

Luke Shepard

Loretta Stites

Gail Volk

Steve Voorhees

Mary Walker

Founding Board Members Marcy Emerson-Peters Mark Gardner Colleen Gifford Tamra Jones Mark LaCroix Dominic Moran Maggie Nelson Ken Poirier Amelia Salvador Luke Shepard Loretta Stites Gail Volk Steve Voorhees Mary Walker

A woman with dark hair in a blue shirt smiling in front of green foliage.

PDC / Prosper Portland Representative: Dana DeKlyen

PDC / Prosper Portland Representative: Dana DeKlyen

Man wearing glasses and a dark sweater, looking away with a slight smile.


Our Accomplishments

Historic Parkrose has a lot to be proud of. Since 2014 we have funded over a dozen district improvement projects. We have offered technical assistance for businesses and co-founded the annual Taste of Parkrose. We’ve supported projects like the Immigrant of the Year Award, neighborhood clean-ups, mural paintings, and so much more.

Aerial view of a suburban neighborhood with houses, roads, and trees.

Meet the Team