Central City Code Amendments Project
The Discussion Draft is now available for review and public comment is invited through Friday, Feb. 13. This draft represents City staff's initial recommendations for zoning code and map changes to help facilitate housing development and economic revitalization. This is the first opportunity for the broader public to give feedback on the proposed changes.
Give feedback
- Submit your written comments using the project's Map App until Friday, Feb. 13.
- Give feedback at the in-person open house on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Portland Building Room 100.
Summary of draft proposals
Proposals that encourage housing production include:
- Increasing maximum building heights in various parts of the Central City to increase development flexibility and encourage housing.
- Providing opportunity for mixed use and residential development in key areas through zoning map amendments,
- Removing housing prohibitions in parts of Lower Albina and the Central Eastside,
- Reducing prohibitions of ground floor dwelling units in the Central City,
- Incentivizing the development of 2- and 3-bedroom units for larger households.
Proposals that promote economic recovery include:
- Increasing flexibility for industrial and employment uses, and "Micro-Delivery Hubs" in the Central Commercial (CX) zone,
- Increasing opportunities for retail uses in the Central Eastside's General Industrial zone,
- Increasing opportunities for retail and other event uses in Open Space (OS) zones and Tom McCall Waterfront Park,
- Simplifying food cart regulations and allowing carts in more areas citywide,
- Removing zoning barriers for entertainment uses such as performance venues and theaters,
- Allowing for surface parking in underutilized and constrained areas to support surrounding businesses
Community engagement plan
The project is informed by early outreach to nearly 20 different neighborhoods, community and business groups, as well as interviews with property owners and developers. Read the full Community Engagement Plan for descriptions of the planned engagement approaches in each phase of the project and a running log of completed outreach activities.
Read the CCCAP Community Engagement Plan
Central City 2035 Plan
The Central City 2035 Plan (CC2035), originally adopted in July 2018. It was appealed and then remanded to the City to make revised findings. The plan was readopted on July 8, 2020.