Accept and appropriate a grant for $352,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration to research a Legacy Business Preservation Project
The City of Portland ordains:
Section 1. The Council finds:
- The U.S. Small Business Administration has notified the City of Portland that it has been awarded a $352,000 grant through the Congressional Earmarks Initiative.
- The grant was authorized through H.R. 2617, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.
- The grant will allow the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability’s Historic Resources Program to study existing legacy business programs, analyze a range of policy alternatives for the preservation of legacy businesses, and bring forward a report and recommendations for City Council consideration.
- Portland’s existing historic preservation programs have supported the identification, documentation, designation, and protection of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, and public art.
- Many places significant to the history and identity of Portland communities—especially Black, Indigenous, and Portlanders of Color—are not physical structures but instead are businesses, churches, community spaces, and intangible resources.
- Studying opportunities to expand historic preservation programs to include longstanding institutions and intangible histories holds the potential bring meaning, awareness, and stability to underrepresented communities.
- The grant-funded work must be completed by December 31, 2025.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:
- The Director of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (Director) is hereby authorized to accept on behalf of the City of Portland a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration in the amount of $352,000 for a Legacy Business Preservation Project and to execute a Grant Agreement substantially similar to Exhibit A.
- The FY 2023-24 budget is hereby amended as follows:
GRANT FUND
Fund – 217
Business Area – PN00
Bureau Program Expenses – $352,000 - BPS and the Office of Management & Finance Grants Division are authorized to perform all administrative matters in relation to the grant application, grant agreement or amendments, requests for reimbursement from the grantor, and to submit required grant documents on the Director’s behalf.
- The BPS Director is authorized to execute amendments to the Agreement, provided such modifications do not increase the City’s financial obligation or risk. Any modifications that increase the City’s financial obligation or risk must be authorized by the City Council.
Section 2. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect on October 1, 2023.
Official Record (Efiles)
An ordinance when passed by the Council shall be signed by the Auditor. It shall be carefully filed and preserved in the custody of the Auditor (City Charter Chapter 2 Article 1 Section 2-122)
Passed by Council
Auditor of the City of Portland
Simone Rede
Impact Statement
Purpose of Proposed Legislation and Background Information
The purpose of this legislation is to accept and appropriate a $352,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration to study — but not implement — a Legacy Business Preservation Program. The grant was awarded through the Congressional Earmarks Initiative with the support of Portland’s elected federal delegation. The project was included in H.R. 2617, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, and was signed into law by President Biden.
The City of Portland has been recognized as a Certified Local Government by the National Park Service since 1997. The City’s Certified Local Government status reflects the ongoing historic preservation compliance, outreach, and land use functions conducted by the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS), Bureau of Development Services (BDS), and Historic Landmarks Commission. Although traditional Certified Local Government activities in Portland and across the country include the identification, designation, and protection of structures, several local governments are expanding those programs to include intangible heritage—the preservation of longstanding institutions, businesses, events, and activities. The U.S. Small Business Administration grant will allow BPS to study, analyze, and bring forward recommendations for a potential Legacy Business Preservation Program in Portland (an objective specifically identified in BPS’s 2021-2024 Strategic Plan).
Financial and Budgetary Impacts
The U.S. Small Business Administration has awarded a $352,000 grant to the City for this project, which will be incorporated into the BPS FY 2023-24 budget for $352,000 under grant number PN000113.
This legislation will not create new City staff positions. There is no match requirement.
The grant funding expects the City to research, analyze, and develop recommendations for a Legacy Business Preservation Program, but does not obligate the City to establish and implement such a program during or following the grant period.
Community Impacts and Community Involvement
In recent years, BPS has worked collaboratively with property owners and partner organizations to expand the diversity of historic resources included in the citywide Historic Resources Inventory. Specifically, this pivot has prioritized the designation and culturally specific protection of African American, Asian American, and LGBTQ+ historic resources. The designation of such resources guards against erasure, provides economic opportunities to owners and tenants, and ensures that Portlanders of all backgrounds have an opportunity to learn from and heal past inequities.
In the course of documenting and designating underrepresented historic resources in recent years, City staff have received repeated requests to expand the Historic Resources Program to support the protection of not just physical buildings associated with underrepresented histories but the living institutions within those buildings that serve LGBTQ+ Portlanders and communities of color.
Studying, analyzing, and bringing forward recommendations related to a Legacy Business Preservation Program will deepen the City’s collective understanding of the needs of institutions that have historically served underrepresented communities in the city; these include fraternal clubs, retail services, places of worship, and culturally specific restaurants and bars. In recent years, these institutions have been among the most vulnerable to involuntary displacement.
The City’s request for funding through the Congressional Earmarks Initiative included letters of support from Triangle Productions, Oregon Black Pioneers, Restore Oregon, and the State Historic Preservation Office. These organizations, as well as additional organizations, tenants, and property owners will all be included in the development of grant-funded deliverables.
100% Renewable Goal
n/a
Budgetary Impact Worksheet
| Fund | Fund Center | Commitment Item | Functional Area | Funded Program | Grant | Sponsored Program | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 217001 | PNCP000001 | 511100 | CDCPUDHR000000GC | Non-Program | PN000113 | PN01130001 | $201,926 |
| 217001 | PNCP000001 | 514100 | CDCPUDHR000000GC | Non-Program | PN000113 | PN01130001 | $100,074 |
| 217001 | PNCP000001 | 521000 | CDCPUDHR000000GC | Non-Program | PN000113 | PN01130001 | $50,000 |
| 217001 | PNCP000001 | 441100 | CDCPUDHR000000GC | Non-Program | PN000113 | PN01130001 | $352,000 |
Financial and Budget Analysis
The bureau received a $352k grant to research, analyze, and develop recommendations for a Legacy Business Preservation Program. These resources will not create new City staff positions nor is there a match requirement for the bureau.