Portland one step closer to capping I-5, reconnecting historic neighborhood

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Portland City Council took a significant step toward reunifying the city’s Albina neighborhood on July 31.

The city council unanimously approved an $800,000 grant awarded to the city by the U.S. Department of Transportation Wednesday, which will allow the city to perform planning work related to the capping of I-5 near the Rose Quarter. The council also officially endorsed the community-led Albina Vision Trust Community Investment Plan, which aims to further restore the historically Black neighborhood that was divided by the construction of I-5 in the 1950s.

Councilman Mingus Mapps said that the project is at the “cutting edge” of redevelopment in the U.S.

“This is a historically important day for Portland, and indeed, I would argue, it’s a historically important day for our nation,” Mapps said. “The work being done in the Albina District has become a national model for how cities can build better infrastructure and healthier communities, while also helping to right some of the wrongs of the past.”

In March, the projects received a $450 million grant from the federal government. However, the entire project is expected to cost $1.5 billion to $2 billion. The latest grant is expected to fund the planning that is necessary to make the project a reality.

The proposed project envisions a freeway cover that can hold three-story buildings, including homes for Black families, and calls for the redevelopment of the surrounding area. Ideas for the redeveloped neighborhood include a bustling waterfront, performance spaces, playgrounds and more.