Casino Measure Delayed

The sponsors of a plan to open an off-reservation resort casino have delayed their plans for at least two years, pulling a ballot measure that would've allowed them to build on the old Multnomah Kennel Club site.

The "Good for Oregon Committee" realized it couldn't get enough signatures by the July 7 deadline to get on the November ballot—largely because challenges to the ballot title pushed the timeline back, according to the chief petitioners.

It's good news for Native American groups like the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde—which runs the Spirit Mountain Casino—who will have another couple of years without competition from the more centrally located Kennel Club site. SCOTT MOORE

Alberta Development

On June 13, dozens of neighbors from the NE Alberta area squeezed into a spiritual center's meeting room to see architect Saj Jivanjee's design for the newest addition to Alberta: a 65-foot-tall building slated for the corner of NE 20th. The building—a mixed-use development with condos on top of retail—will be one of the tallest structures in the neighborhood, which has neighbors concerned. "It's massive," bemoaned one neighbor, while another conceded that the architect's drawings—which show a building split into three sections, with a walk-through courtyard to break up the mass—were "beautiful," even if the project is large.

Meanwhile, the architect pointed out that city zoning and previous neighborhood plans allow the project to be six-stories tall—if neighbors are opposed to height, they need to make their case to the city, not individual developers. Neighbors are planning a town hall meeting to discuss further action. AMY JENNIGES