May 2022
The Street Beat newsletter will be taking a break in June. Look for it in your inbox in July.
Update on 90-Day Plan to Clean Up Old Town
In March 2022, the Downtown Portland Clean & Safe (Clean & Safe) team partnered with the Old Town Community Association (OCTA) on a 90-day community-driven plan for rebuilding and reopening the Old Town district. The 90-day plan outlines a short- and long-term vision and measurable goals that the community, the City of Portland and Multnomah County must do to support recovery efforts in the area.

On Thursday, April 28, the Clean & Safe team joined OCTA for an update on the 90-day plan. Watch the entire press conference here.

Additionally, Steve Wytcherley, Operations Director for the Enhanced Services District of Downtown Portland Clean and Safe, shared the following:

“Clean & Safe joined the Old Town Community 90-Day plan to provide additional janitorial and public safety services through our excellent contracted staff to improve livability conditions for Old Town. We are very grateful and proud of our staff for their continued dedication and service in these roles, working hard in changing, uncertain and sometimes dangerous conditions.

As we all know, Old Town, and Downtown, have some very particular circumstances. In Old Town, we have a high density of tents and unsheltered community members living amongst some of our smaller and culturally-specific businesses, in a relatively small area, prominently, on numerous public rights of way.

In Old Town, many problems coalesce to create an unsustainable environment where violence, unsafe and inhumane conditions persist, and business continuity is increasingly unattainable. It is within this environment where collectively we are endeavoring to improve conditions for all.”

Read Mr. Wytcherley’s entire message below.
Commissioners Carmen Rubio & Dan Ryan Join the Clean & Safe Team for Downtown Business Walking Tours
In April, the Downtown Portland Clean & Safe team led two separate walking tours in the Downtown and Old Town areas – first with Commissioner Carmen Rubio and then with Commissioner Dan Ryan. Both walking tours gave the Commissioners a chance to meet directly with small business owners and retailers in the Downtown and Old Town areas – listening to what they have endured over the last two-and-a-half years and seeing for themselves the conditions of our Downtown streets. 

Commissioner Rubio checked in with Venus Sun, Senior Director of Culture & Community Engagement of Lan Su Chinese Gardens; Tiffany and Jake Hammer, Owners of Everett Street Autoworks; Tessa Peterson General Manager of the Hoxton; Lisa Schroder, Owner and Chef at Mother’s Bistro; and, David Davies, Managing Partner of the Pine Street Marketplace.  

Commissioner Ryan had a chance to meet with Jennifer Underwood, Director of Hospitably at AFURI, North America world headquarters; Kim Foren, Owner of Geranium Lake; Brandon Stevens, Owner of Grits-N-Gravy; Keith Jones, Executive Director of the Friends of Green Loop, for The Cart Blocks; Steve Lein, Owner of UnderU4Men; and, Kim Riggs, General Manager for the Ace Hotel.

One of the reoccurring themes we heard from multiple business owners was the idea that people and community are what make Portland so special. If the people are suffering, then the city is suffering. Conversely, when people are prospering, so does the city. Lisa Schroeder best summed this up when she indicated ‘We are Portland’.  

Shares Sydney Mead, Clean & Safe’s Director of Downtown Programs: “These tours were an amazing way to connect with local businesses and learn about both the challenges they have faced and the resiliency and dedication of these businesses. These owners and managers have worked hard, in person, Downtown, every day over the past two and half years. It has taken a toll, but they are not about to give up on Portland.” 

For highlights of Commissioner Ryan’s walking tour and to read his recent Message of Hope, click below. 
2nd Annual Oregon Rises Above Hate!
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. On May 14th, the second annual Oregon Rises Above Hate event took place at Lan Su Gardens in Old Town, where the community gathered together to celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and the AANHPI (Asian, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander) community, its resilience, and commit to combat the continued rise anti-Asian hate.

Members of the Clean & Safe team were on hand to ensure the event’s success. Following the event, Elizabeth Nye, Executive Director of the Lan Su Chinese Garden, shared with our team this note.

Event Organizer Anne-Naito Campbell, daughter of noted late Portland businessman, civic leader and philanthropist Bill Naito and Principal of the Bill Naito Company, shared that the idea for this event “began last year when the news of the shootings in Atlanta broke…remember that day. Now we’ve seen more murders and attacks…, and we know our work here is not done. The anti-Asian rhetoric and hate that started at the beginning of the pandemic has taken root. For many AANHPI people in our state, especially women, it feels as if it’s not a matter of if but when. Too many people think it couldn’t happen here; that acts of bigotry don’t happen here, despite Oregon’s long history of anti-Asian hate and violence. That belief is partially a function of racism…”

If you missed this great event, we encourage you to catch the highlights here. And to offer your support to the AANHPI community, we encourage you to:
  1. LEARN: Asian Americans on Amazon Prime. “This series traces the story of Asian Americans, spanning 150 years of immigration, racial politics, and cultural innovation. It is a timely look at the role that Asian Americans have played in defining who we are as a nation.”
  2. ENGAGE: Join other Oregon Rises Above Hate events. 
  3. VISIT: Local cultural businesses and institutions.
  4. SHOP: Spend your money at local AAPI owned businesses.
Downtown Portland's Comeback!
As Downtown Portland emerges post-pandemic and as we settle back into pre-pandemic routines, we hope to see employees and visitors alike once again look to Downtown Portland as a destination for everything good – food, music, culture, retail shopping. With many events on the horizon, including the Rose Festival, Blues Fest, and Pioneer Courthouse Square’s schedule of events and programs, Downtown Portland is ready for its comeback! 

On Thursday, May 19th, the Portland Business Alliance held its monthly member forum celebrating the Grand Re-opening of Downtown Portland. The event featured a panel of local leaders who shared details of their plans to host Portland’s most prominent attractions and who provided the audience with an inside view into how these beloved events will take shape following a global pandemic. 
 
The event also featured a Downtown Recovery update from Mike Wilkerson, Partner and Director of Analytics at ECONorthwest, who provided the latest updates on our City’s progress toward recovery since the February 2022 State of the Economy Report.
May 13, 2022 - On the corner of NW 2nd & Glisan St. in Old Town prior to the Oregon Rises Above Hate event. After a coordinated camp clean-up through the Street Services Coordination Center, Clean & Safe janitorial staff cleaned and power-washed the area.
DPC&S Partners with Street Services Coordination Center
The Downtown Portland Clean & Safe team continues to work collaboratively with the City of Portland and Multnomah County where new opportunities allow. This month we began a strategic partnership with the Street Services Coordination Center (SSCC), a new initiative from the Mayor’s office created under an Emergency Declaration. “The Streets Services Coordination Center works to connect individuals experiencing houselessness to shelter and other services and supports the coordination of encampment cleanings and removals. As available and based upon eligibility, the program provides access to congregate shelter, safe rest villages, or hotel rooms and immediate transportation to those locations.”
 
Within the Clean & Safe District, when the SSCC has been successful working with partners connecting people to services and completing coordinated camp clean ups, we receive notification of areas that are completed and dispatch our janitorial services staff to remove any remaining trash and power-wash the streets at night. Working together in this way has been successful in preparing for community events, and helping businesses maintain sustainable customer access as more and more people visit Old Town and Downtown. 
Who to Call for Help
If you are located within the Downtown Portland Clean & Safe District and need help with a non-emergency issue outside of your building, call us at 503-224-7383. Please be prepared with the location, description of what’s happening and description of those involved.
Our SAFETY team,
can help with:
  • Disorderly behavior
  • Aggressive panhandling
  • Public drinking
  • Individuals sleeping in doorways or blocking access
  • Advice on a security issue
Our CLEANING team,
can help with:
  • Cleaning the sidewalk
  • Removing graffiti on the building walls facing the street, no higher than 8'
  • Picking up needles or other biohazards
Hours of operation:
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Monday - Tuesday: 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Wednesday - Saturday: 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 a.m. 

In an emergency, call 9-1-1 for an immediate response.
Non-emergency calls to Portland Police, call 503-823-3333.

For City/County information and referrals, call 503-823-4000.

To report camping or other livability issues, visit pdxreport.org.
Upcoming Trainings & Workshops
We are taking a break for trainings during the month of June.
Trainings will return in July.

To register for our trainings and/or to learn more about other events,
Downtown Retail Council
The Downtown Retail Council (DRC) is the voice for Downtown Portland’s consumer business. Meetings are open to retailers, restaurateurs and hoteliers within the Downtown Portland and Old Town areas.
 
The DRC meets on the second Tuesday of each month (January - October) from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Additionally, the Downtown Retail Council will meet in person for a mixer event at Southpark. If you are a retailer, hotelier, food cart owner, or restauranteur please join us at SouthPark for our first happy hour event!
 
DRC Happy Hour
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Southpark Seafood
901 SW Salmon Street
 
 Join us for some tasty mocktails, cocktails, and a chance to connect in person with your peers. As we are all gathered, we will also take the opportunity to distribute materials for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (i.e. vinyl clings, table tents, posters, etc.) provided by Travel Oregon. This historic track event is being held in Eugene, and retailers in Portland are encouraged to show their pride for this event’s first U.S. appearance by displaying these materials.
Join Our Team:
Summer Sidewalk Ambassadors
Are you an insider on all things Portland? Want to help visitors experience all the great attractions our city has to offer? Apply to be a Summer Sidewalk Ambassador for Downtown Portland Clean & Safe!

Downtown Sidewalk Ambassadors are walking concierges responsible for providing visitors and locals alike with highly visible and friendly world-class hospitality. We are seeking individuals who are not afraid to strike up a conversation with visitors and provide them with information, directions, wayfinding, as well as an ‘insiders’ perspective on all things Portland.

Downtown Portland Clean & Safe is a part of the downtown community and our teams strive to keep downtown clean and safe, as well as to connect with businesses. We provide ongoing training including site visits to museums and attractions to obtain firsthand knowledge of the things that make Portland appealing to visitors and locals alike.
Join Us on June 3rd for Our Upcoming Pride Ride!
June 3, 2022
3 - 5 p.m.
Shemanski Park

Come along on a bicycle parade commemorating Pride Month and World Bicycle Day brought to you by Downtown Portland and The Street Trust!

This fun community event is hosted by celebrated Portland drag queen Poison Waters! This family-friendly event is for everyone! We’ll enjoy a stately (i.e. slow) parade of two fabulous miles that will take us past spots from Portland’s rich 2SLGBTQIA+ history. The parade will end with a dance party at the Cart Blocks Food Cart Pod @ Ankeny West featuring some surprise guests.

#PrideRide #WorldBicycleDay
Downtown Portland is our city’s heartbeat. It’s the urban center that brings together locals and visitors to eat, shop, explore and gather. From our city’s thriving retail district to its renowned restaurants, Downtown Portland offers countless reasons to come together.

This month we’re excited to feature:
AFURI SLABTOWN
Afuri Slabtown, is the newest location for this Yuzu style ramen restaurant and allows customers an inside look into the ramen-making process. Come enjoy the taste of freshly made noodles and experience the culinary theater.
AMITY ARTISAN GOODS
In honor of National Small Business Week, we spotlight the Downtown retail store, Amity Artisan Goods. Check out the video and re-share to help spread the word!
DINOLANDIA
Dinolandia is an immersive, family-friendly, walk-through museum featuring all kinds of prehistoric beasts, courtesy of Portland artist and public joy creator Mike Bennett.
URBAN ART HIKE
Created by Gallery Go Go and a coalition of Portland artists, the Urban Art Walk is a self-guided walking tour of fine art in Portland. 
Our team wants to support your business!
If you would like to be featured in an upcoming write-up, please email Sommer at [email protected].
Want to know more?
Discover more in Travel Portland's ultimate guide to Downtown Portland, featuring unique shops, unforgettable restaurants, iconic coffee roasters, and one-of-a-kind activities.
So much is happening in Downtown Portland! In case you missed the news on these special activities, we’re happy to re-share:

Portland is a hotbed of innovation and economic growth. A center of culture and creativity. A gathering place for Portlanders and visitors. It’s also the center of national attention for issues related to houselessness, safety, and tourism. Here’s what’s new:
Connect with us on social!
About Downtown Portland Clean & Safe
Downtown Portland Clean & Safe is a private, nonprofit organization that contracts with the Portland Business Alliance to provide enhanced cleaning and security services, marketing and economic development programs to downtown property owners.

The Downtown Portland Clean & Safe District provides extraordinary essential services to the people, places and businesses within a core 213-block area of our unique city. Operating since 1988, the district is one of the oldest, largest and most successful enhanced service districts in the nation.

Hours of operation:
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Monday - Tuesday: 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Wednesday - Saturday: 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 a.m. 


For service, call 503-224-7383.
Subscribe or forward to a friend
Share this email with a friend and/or sign-up below to receive this newsletter in your inbox every month.
Copyright © 2022 Downtown Portland Clean & Safe. All rights reserved.