PBA backs expanded River District renewal area - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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Sandra McDonough, the alliance’s president and CEO, told the Portlaned City Council on June 17 that the city needs to do everythintg it can to providwemore jobs. The council is reconsidering expanding the River Districyt by nearly42 acres, as well as increase the amount of bondas the city can assume to fund projectsw within the district. The council and the Portlane Development Commission had first soughyt the expansion nearly two yeare ago but were thwarted bya citizens’ grou p complaint.
The Friends of Urbabn Renewal group had charged that the River District expansion proposal, which would have also redirected $20 million in district-generatef funds to a new East Portland elementary school, didn’t fit technicao urban renewal definitions. The council will vote on the measurdenext week. McDonough said urban renewaol provides funding for investmentsin housing, social services and public-privated partnerships. “We need to creatr jobs,” she said. “We have an opportunity to do just that by adoptingh theserevised findings, which address the issues that have been raised about the River District expansion.
We can then move forwardx with the important projects that depend onthese funds.” City Commissioner Nick Fish has said that the constructionh of a new homeless services center could depenfd on urban renewal fund s if construction is to begin this McDonough said the alliance backs using urbahn renewal funds to builsd the center.