Portland Adds Incentives to Demolition Discussion

The current delay period is 120 days. The new one being bandied is 300 days. Such a proposal may show up on the Council's agenda its meeting May 29.

Local real estate developers showed up to speak in favor of more positive reinforcement like property tax breaks, low-interest loans and less restrictive code requirements. Older buildings are costly to restore and command lower rents, they said, and if the city wants to see them renovated it needs to provide the kind of support that will make it more financially feasible.

To that end, the City Council asked to Planning Bureau to return in six months with proposals for incentives a set of criteria for determining whether a building should be torn down or not. Among other things, such criteria could be incorporated into a demolition denial process.