"A ragtag group of predominantly business interest representatives has been selected by the city of Portland to weigh in on economic challenges to the city's core. The hotshot team-called the Central City Roundtable-will convene for the first time on Friday, March 6. They'll look at recommendations offered by the infamous task force that Governor Tina Kotek designed in 2023, which proved a predictably contentious practice due to its secrecy and lack of record-keeping."
"Nevada auto magnate Jeff Swickard is a member of the Central City Roundtable. Last year, he bought Portland's US Bancorp Tower, also known as Big Pink. That building's revitalization has been pretty impressive, right? Well, not only is that guy in on this super secret team, but he also recently purchased another downtown building: public records show the purchase of the 267,000-square-foot Five Oak building from an out-of-town investor for just $10.5 million."
"Oregon lawmakers have advanced a bill to boost funding for wildlife conservation efforts and help protect the state's most imperiled species. House Bill 4134, also known as the 1.25 Percent for Wildlife bill, would increase the state's lodging tax to 2.75 percent, directing most of the additional revenue to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) for conservation programs."
Portland established the Central City Roundtable, a group of business interest representatives, to address economic challenges facing the city's core. The roundtable convenes for the first time on Friday, March 6, and will review recommendations from Governor Tina Kotek's 2023 task force, which faced criticism for secrecy and poor record-keeping. Nevada auto magnate Jeff Swickard, a roundtable member, recently purchased Portland's US Bancorp Tower and the 267,000-square-foot Five Oak building for $10.5 million. Meanwhile, Oregon lawmakers advanced House Bill 4134, the 1.25 Percent for Wildlife bill, which would increase the state's lodging tax to 2.75 percent, directing additional revenue to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for conservation programs protecting imperiled species.
#portland-economic-development #central-city-roundtable #wildlife-conservation-funding #oregon-legislation #downtown-revitalization
Read at Portland Mercury
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