Today, the Washington Center property in SW Portland was cleared to allow for contractors to safely secure and harden the building. The large-scale property, which is privately owned, has been a top public safety concern priority for Mayor Wheeler.
This morning at approximately 7:00am, officers and staff from the Portland Police Bureau performed a thorough inspection of the building. The City is confident that the building site is empty of trespassers. There were no immediate threats during this process. The property owner worked closely with the City to coordinate a private contractor that further secured and hardened the building and its perimeter immediately after police inspection. Hardening will further deter building entry and loitering. Parking is limited on SW Harvey Milk St. And 4th.
Efforts to secure and harden the site required coordination led by the Mayor’s office via the Portland Environment Management Office (PEMO), a central command office established last year by Mayor Wheeler through an Emergency Declaration. PEMO worked to coordinate efforts between the Portland Police Bureau, Portland Fire and Rescue, the Bureau of Development Services, Portland Bureau of Transportation, the Community Safety Division and the Street Services Coordination Center.
The Mayor’s office and Washington Center property owners have been in frequent communications over a months-long period working to address ongoing safety issues and illegal activity surrounding this site. The Bureau of Development Services performed assessments and recommendations of the property. On Friday, April 7, 2023, Mayor Wheeler directed the Portland Police Bureau to patrol the site 24-hours a day. The Portland Police Bureau will continue to dedicate appropriate resources to patrolling and monitoring the site and its surrounding area. The Portland Police Bureau has made dozens of arrests in connection to illegal drugs on the property.
“I want to express my gratitude to the many people who have been working to bring solutions to this site. These efforts required close coordination among the community and numerous City bureaus and offices to reclaim a private property that has posed significant safety challenges downtown,” said Mayor Ted Wheeler. “I am continuing to restaff our police bureau and maintain the positive momentum we gained here. I am working closely with the Governor to increase capacity at the State academy to get our recently hired police officers out on the streets more quickly. We are also pleased to be working with Oregon State Police to address other safety issues in the community, including street takeovers, DUII investigations, and general traffic enforcement. These strong partnerships are critical to revitalizing our city.”
The Mayor’s office will continue conversations with the property owner to determine the future of the site.
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