On April 10, a group of Portland developers unveiled plans for what looks like a bright-green circus tent under the west end of the Broadway Bridge.
By the end of the 2018, developer Homer Williams promised, the structure will be up and running as a “navigation center” for Portland’s homeless population. Along with providing short-term housing for up to 100 adult men, the facility will act as a kind of triage center for those looking for a way out of homelessness. Mayor Ted Wheeler said the city would donate the property, which is currently owned by Prosper Portland, while Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle promised to donate $1.5 million to Oregon Harbor of Hope, the homelessness nonprofit overseen by Williams, to bankroll the building’s construction.
Unlike Multnomah County’s current temporary shelters, which are located in privately-owned buildings, this new facility will have no set closure date—making it the city’s first permanent shelter run on public land and using private funds. But while everyone who works with Portland’s homeless population welcome new solutions (and funding), the property’s rocky past and mysterious future have made advocates cautious to fully embrace the project.
