Wapato Jail has been sold to Kehoe Northwest Properties for $5 million following a contentious 3-1 vote at Multnomah County Commission. Commissioner Loretta Smith, who advocated that the jail be turned into a homeless shelter, argued passionately that the sale be turned down after Kehoe changed its offer from $10.8 million to $5 million.
“The taxpayers deserve a little bit better from us,” Smith said at the contentious Friday meeting, citing an offer emailed to the county commission by local Homer Williams to buy the property for $7 million and turn it into a homeless shelter as a viable alternative.
Smith had previously advocated for the county running the jail as a shelter itself, something Commissioner Sharon Meieran says would wipe out the rest of the county’s budget for homeless shelters, thus closing every other shelter run by the county. “It would take $5 to $10 million per year to operate this facility,” she said.
Meieran asked Smith if she had met with TriMet and other service providers to figure out the costs associated with running such a shelter. Smith replied that she had outlined her proposal in an Oregonian op-ed. Meieran repeated her question—a move that Smith called a “micro-aggression” and refused to answer further. Homeless Portlanders and advocates that we spoke to last week have told us the plan doesn’t reflect their needs.
Developer Homer Williams gave public testimony reiterating his offer of $7 million with a promise to run the location as a homeless shelter. “If we were to move ahead with Wapato, our intention is that the primary funding for it would not come from the county,” he said.
Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson reiterated that the initial construction of the jail was a mistake, and that the facility is not well suited to other uses because of its construction and the fact that it’s zoned for industrial uses. “It’s plain and simple,” she said. “The building is a jail, and there’s not much you can do to change that.”
The money from the sale will be spent on affordable housing, in accordance with a November vote earlier in the sale proceedings. The county requires a $250,000 deposit on the sale, refundable unless the sale does not proceed.
The sale will be finalized on April 20.
“and the fact that it’s zoned for industrial uses”
It cannot possibly be that difficult to change the fucking zoning. Won’t a change of zoning be required for literally every proposed permanent campsite that would go up on industrial and/or parking lot zoned parcels?
This who thing is fucking ridiculous. And the homeless “advocates” who opposed it (because it would mean fewer nearby clients and/or having to relocate their services and offices from cozy downtown) can go fuck themselves.
The perfect is the enemy of the good.
Awww all the people who hoped the homeless problem would be banished to the far reaches of the industrial zone on the farthest tip of Portland’s actual footprint are really dissapointed – you can tell by the angry inchoreant screaming they do – much like the people they avoid on the sidewalks downtown.
@gravit8: Exaggerate much?
The Mercury and extreme homeless advocates were in favor of the failed “Village of Hope” outdoor camp that was located in the “far reaches” of the Columbia Slough (near NE 182nd and NE Airport Way). As the crow flies, this failed outdoor camp was 11 1/2 miles from downtown, yet The Mercury and extreme homeless advocates were in favor of it.
Wapato, an actual facility with heat, water and electricity, is a mere 6 1/2 miles from downtown (as the crow flies), and it’s somehow unworkable because it’s too far? Huh?
An outdoor camp 11 1/2 miles from downtown: Workable.
A building with heat, water and electricity that’s 6 1/2 miles from downtown: Unworkable.
What is your well-thought out and insightful opinion on this?
Wouldn’t it be amazing if the Holier-than-Thou Vagrent advocates were the biggest obstacle to “solving” homelessness.
Besides as I have pointed out before,
There will always be the bottom of the bell curve, people who marginally function in life. Thus there will always be homelessness, it cannot be “solved”, only minimized. So;
1) Contain the homeless away from successfully functioning neighborhoods,
2) Provide services at these locations for those who can turn around their lives,
3) Enforce statutes so the homeless do not degrade the environment for the functional population.
Second the reply of #4 to the idiot at #3. What’s your better idea for a short-term solution that would provide nearly the same number of people with a roof, bed, toilet and shower facilities, gravit8? Surprise, you don’t have one, because nothing exists or will exist in the next 3-5 years anywhere closer to the city center were upwards of 500 people could have the option of getting off the streets.