City Cast Portland
⁉️ Clackamas County has the country's most dangerous beaches
March 25, 2024
Good morning, Portland! Last week brought peak cherry blossoms 🌸 What new signs of spring will this week hold?
What's CITY Talking About?
Most Dangerous Beaches in the Country
The most dangerous U.S. county for beachgoers is in Oregon, but it’s not on the coast. Clackamas County has the highest number of water rescues per beachgoer. That’s according to data from the nonprofit group United States Lifesaving Association, analyzed by a personal injury law firm based in Connecticut. There might be other ways to rank the dangers, but it is a good reminder that rivers can be hazardous: there’s a reason to wear a lifejacket when you’re out on a river. [Oregonian]
$100M for Housing Infrastructure
Lawmakers approved $100 million for sewer and other infrastructure projects to help housing projects get off the ground. But for efficiency, the Legislature decided to send the money directly to cities. That raises questions about whether the projects will actually go for the intended purpose of helping to bolster housing development. [OPB]
Second Default for a High-Profile Portland Developer
Developer Kevin Cavenaugh has changed Portland’s skyline with his distinctive building designs, but now he’s in trouble again. He’s defaulted on a second loan in under a year. He’s warning that this is going to be a bad year for the commercial real estate industry. “Unless you have zero debt or own your buildings free and clear, unless you’re like a third-or fourth-generation land owner — and Portland has plenty of those — … you’re screwed,” Cavenaugh says. [Willamette Week]
2024 is not going to be a pretty year for the industry.
Weaponizing Odor Complaints
Northeast Portland’s Pho Gabo, a Vietnamese restaurant, permanently closed its Northeast location in February, after a neighbor repeatedly complained to the city about smelling food. How could this happen? [City Cast Portland 🎧]
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What To Do
Monday, March 25
- 🎵 Destin Conrad | 8 p.m. | $37.85 | Revolution Hall
- 🎭 ‘Kinky Boots’ | 7:30 p.m. (and various times through March 31) | $47.50+ | Downtown
- 📽️ ‘Under the Skin’ (Feminist March film series) | 7 p.m. | $14 | Hollywood Theatre
Tuesday, March 26
- 🎵 Sir Chloe | 8 p.m. | $29.10 | Wonder Ballroom
- 🎵 Ladysmith Black Mambazo | 8 p.m. | $46.81 | Aladdin Theater
Wednesday, March 27
- 📚‘Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood’ | 7 p.m. | Free | Powell's City of Books
- 📽️ ‘Wonder Woman’ and More in 16mm (Feminist March film series) | 7:30 p.m. | $14 | Hollywood Theatre
- 🌸 Re:Generation – Manifesting at the Peach Blossom Spring | Various Times | $8 | Portland Chinatown Museum
Today on City Cast
Why a Portland Restaurant Closed for Smelling Like Food
Early last month, local Vietnamese restaurant chain Pho Gabo permanently closed its Northeast location after a neighbor repeatedly complained to the city about food odor. Willamette Week arts and culture reporter Rachel Saslow, who broke the story, lays out how that happened and what changes the city has made since.
A correction before I go: I misstated who went to court over the North Plains ballot measure. It’s the opponents who are challenging House Bill 4026. My apologies for that error in Friday’s newsletter.
I’ll see you tomorrow.
— Rachel Monahan
Edited by Giulia Fiaoni
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